The Ukraine is currently experiencing both internal conflict, wherein bloody anti-government protests are rising, and external conflict, wherein Russia has invaded the country, and taken a hold of Crimea, the peninsula that became a part of the Ukraine after the breakup of the Soviet Union. On March 3, the U.N. met to discuss what would occur as a result of Russia’s aggressive actions in sending troops to the Ukraine, thereby breaking international law that states that a country can not send military to another country unprovoked and must provide sufficient justification before invading a sovereign country.
The Western powers, including the United States, as a result, are trying to find a way to isolate Russia and offer Ukraine economic aid. As of right now, the Pentagon has cut off military ties with Russia and has also sent 6 fighter jets to Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia- the three countries bordering Russia that were also once part of the Soviet Union- in an effort to protect their airspace and Poland has sent tanks to the border between it and Ukraine.
Even though Russia’s ambassador to the U.N. claims that the moves they are taking are simply a way to defend their “citizens and their compatriots,” the Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.N. states that, in fact, this reasoning for the invasion is false.
Meanwhile, the current presidents Yanukovych has fled the country and gone to Russia allegedly for safety concerns. America says that his actions delegitimize his position as president.
Though secretary of state John Kerry has met with Russian foreign minister, Sergey V. Lavrov they have reported they will continue talking in an effort to diplomatically settle tensions.
The White House has tried to prevent the conflict from escalating. It is still uncertain how far it is willing to go to try and aid the conflict; forcing Russia back out of Crimea may be difficult.
Of course one of the biggest questions is what will happen to Crimea.
Ultimately, this conflict is not only a conflict about getting Russia out of Ukraine or preventing the conflict from escalating further. It’s also about the message it sends to all the countries. Does it mean that any country can invade another without many repercussions?
Russia’s control over Crimea is certainly spelling out some serious consequences for Russia, certainly for Ukraine, and for the world alike.
