Ukraine and Russia Conflict
By: Eva Kroh
* * Written January 2022 - In recent events the Ukraine-Russia conflict has escalated**
In February 2014 tensions in and around Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv erupted in protest over President Viktor Yanukovych’s rejection of economic integration with the European Union (EU). Some had interpreted these protests as a signal of the Ukrainians desire to assimilate and embrace western European ideals, and separate Ukraine from their previous Soviet Union ties. These large scale protests were quickly ended by confrontation with an aggressive police presence. However, this uproar caught the attention of many actors and states globally, specifically, Russia. By March 2014 Russian troops had infiltrated and taken control of Ukraine's Crimea region. Known for its lucrative location on the Black Sea as an import and export hub, many saw the ‘expansion’ of Russian borders as a demonstration of limited territorial and ethnic conflict. As the Washington Post reported, “Vladimir Putin cited the need to protect the rights of Russian citizens and Russian speakers in Crimea and southeast Ukraine.” To this day the borders of Crimea are disputed. Tensions between Ukraine and Russia have continuously risen in recent months.
As of April 30, 2021 tensions between Ukraine and Russia had dramatically escalated. As the New York Times stated “Ukraine Parliament approved a statement declaring an “escalation” along the front, essentially acknowledging that a cease-fire negotiated in July had broken down.” By December 2021 satellite imaging showed missiles and heavy armour vehicles amassed at the Ukrainian border. The Guardian explained that Russian demands to remove their military presence included “a ban on Ukraine entering NATO and a limit to the deployment of troops and weapons to NATO’s eastern flank, in effect returning NATO forces to where they were stationed in 1997, before an eastward expansion.”
As Russia advances, Europe hesitates to implement extreme measures to protect Ukraine's sovereignty. Russian pipelines supplying Europe with natural resources prevent European states from strongly condemning Russia's military actions. The whithold of oil and gas can prove to be catastrophic to any state's economy, leaving European actors to approach with the utmost vigilance.
Currently, peace negotiations and calls between U.S, Russia and Ukraine are occurring. However, the U.S shared its dwindling hope that a diplomatic solution will stop the conflict, as الجزيرة (Al Jazeera) reported “President Joe Biden has warned Ukraine’s president that there is a “distinct possibility” that Russia could take military action against Ukraine in February” Current news stories illustrate the extreme ideological difference and polarization between NATO allies/Ukraine to the Russian interstate. Previous peace negotiations attempts such as the Minsk Accords have been deemed unsuccessful. Although not all diplomatic solutions have failed, acceptance of conflict seems to be near. CNN quoted Secretary of State Blinken “ If a single additional Russian force goes into Ukraine in an aggressive way, as I said, that would trigger a swift, a severe and a united response from us”
In summary, Russia's amassed troops along Ukraine’s eastern border evokes fear and distrust across the global community. As Ukraine and Russia inch closer to total territorial and ideological warfare, actors such as NATO and other European states attempt to balance the importance of Ukrainian sovereignty with their domestic need for Russia's natural resources.