In 1991, Ukraine gained its independence from the Soviet Union and the USSR. The antipathy between the two countries increased in 2014 as Ukrainians denounced their Pro-Russian president.
This led to Russia’s decision to annex the Crimean Peninsula, as well as backing separatists who rebelled in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine and its supporters then claimed that Russia sent weapons to the rebels, but Russia denied these accusations.
With the help of France and Germany, a peace agreement was set in place in 2015 to deescalate the situation. However, in the last few years, Ukraine and Russia have violated regulations set by this agreement.
The main focus of the tension at hand is that Ukraine wants to be a part of NATO (Northern Atlantic Treaty Organization). Russia believes that if Ukraine joins NATO, it will be a threat to them because NATO was created to fight against the Soviet Union and communist countries.
Russia has placed about 10,000 troops at the border between the two countries. Ukraine, France, and Germany requested a meeting with Russia, but the country refused. Russia has also shown strong discontent towards western countries for allying with Ukraine and providing its troops with weapons.
The United States is a supporter of the Ukraine government and has a strong relationship with the country. The U.S. currently has 8,500 troops waiting for deployment in case Russia decides to invade Ukraine. Other organizations, such as NATO, would also be willing to intervene.
In the beginning of this tension, it wasn’t clear what Russia’s next move would be. As of February 18th, U.S. Intelligence believes that Russia has decided to invade Ukraine. In the speech made by President Biden, he said that they believe the invasion will take place sometime in the upcoming weeks.
President Biden believes that they are past negotiations, and it is time to take action. While this tension has been making headlines, Russia’s increased the number of troops at the Ukrainian border, totaling around 190,000 troops.
As of February 23, 2022, Russia has decided to invade Ukraine. In a statement, President Joe Biden, makes it clear who began the war.
“Putin is the aggressor. Putin chose this war…And now he and his country will bear the consequences.” (New York Times)
President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, unofficially declared war as of yesterday. His troops barged through the Ukrainian Border and attacked. Earlier today, Putin made a formal speech indicating his intentions to invade.
Putin believes that Ukraine’s military operations are a threat to the Russian Regime. He also blames the U.S. and other Western countries from failing to stop Ukraine from joining NATO. As the invasion continues, the question left to answer is whether or not the United States is willing to intervene in battle.
