​BUFFALO, N.Y. — ​Daemen College hosted a panel of experts to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its impact.

Experts say it’s been decades in the making and marks the latest violation of international treaties agreed to by Russian leaders.

“We have concrete testament to what Ukrainian people wanted in the referendum in 1991 as the Soviet Union was dissolving, they voted for a sovereignty,” Andrew Kier Wise, professor of history at Daemen, said. “And it wasn’t a close voting you can see there it was a 92%.”

Professors also highlighted a 1994 memorandum signed by the U.S., Russia and Britain, in which Ukraine was assured respect of its sovereignty and borders.

They say Russia violated this agreement when it annexed Crimea in 2014 and is again violating the agreement with its attack on Ukraine.