What did Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus declare in December 1991, leading to the dissolution of the Soviet Union?
1) They declared their allegiance to the Communist Party.
2) They announced their intent to join the European Union.
3) They declared the Soviet Union disbanded and adopted capitalism and democracy.
4) They proclaimed a new constitution for the Soviet Federation.

Choose the correct answer from the given options:

3

In December 1991, under the leadership of Yeltsin, Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus declared that the Soviet Union was disbanded, and they adopted capitalism and democracy as the bases for the post-Soviet republics.

Gorbachev initiated the policies of economic and political reform and democratisation within the country. The reforms were opposed by leaders within the Communist Party. A coup took place in 1991 that was encouraged by Communist Party hardliners. The people had tasted freedom by then and did not want the old-style rule of the Communist Party. Boris Yeltsin emerged as a national hero in opposing this coup. The Russian Republic, where Yeltsin won a popular election, began to shake off centralised control. Power began to shift from the Soviet centre to the republics, especially in the more Europeanised part of the Soviet Union, which saw themselves as sovereign states. The Central Asian republics did not ask for independence and wanted to remain with the Soviet Federation. In December 1991, under the leadership of Yeltsin, Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, three major republics of the USSR, declared that the Soviet Union was disbanded. The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was banned. Capitalism and democracy were adopted as the bases for the post-Soviet republics.