Andrew Bellows
Staff Writer
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been building over the last few years, but recently the conflict has taken a turn towards war. Russia has gathered an army in preparation for a Ukraine invasion, a move that could change the political landscape of the world. If war comes to fruition, Ukraine’s existence and livelihood could be in peril.
According to AP News, Russia has amassed 70% of the military buildup that it will likely use to invade Ukraine. Russian troops have already moved into Belarus, where they are holding joint military sessions with the Belarus military. Russia can now attack Ukraine from the North or the East. Putin intends an invasion in the coming weeks, although he stressed that a diplomatic resolution is still on the table.
With a Russian invasion imminent, Ukraine has begun preparing private citizens to defend the nation. According to the New York Times, they have conducted individual trainings in which Ukrainians learn how to shoot and reload a rifle, apply first-aid and identify dangerous bombs and mines. One Ukrainian military trainer said, “They are factory workers, teachers, economists, accountants. But when we need their help, these people will come to us to help defend our country. They would know what to do.”
President Joe Biden has made it clear that the United States will not send troops to fight a war. However, he has sent forces to Poland and Romania to respond to Russian aggression against NATO territory. The US has committed to being uninvolved in a war even as US military officials warn that the Russian military would quickly defeat the much-smaller Ukrainian force. Because of the inequality in military prowess, the West is in a dilemma on whether Ukraine should be reinforced by a larger, NATO-based force.
Mark Kramer from the Wilson Center, a nonpartisan political research organization, explains that Russia gave Crimea to Ukraine towards the beginning of the Cold War in 1954. Crimea, an area that has an ethnically dominant Russian population, has remained a part of Ukraine ever since. But with Putin in power, Russia has made it clear that they believe Crimea should officially be within Russian international borders. Most countries still do not recognize Crimea as part of Russia, although Putin annexed it in 2014.
It is unknown whether Putin has made a final decision on the invasion, but both Russia and Ukraine are preparing for war. A conflict of this stature could result in disastrous consequences, a European battle to the likes of which the world hasn’t seen for decades.
