Rising Tensions Between Ukraine and Russia

Entering into 2022, tensions seem to be approaching a brutal and violent breakpoint between Russia and Ukraine. As Russia continues to amass more troops and military force around Ukraine, the Pentagon announced that 3,000 American troops have been deployed to easten European countries (including Poland and Romania) to assist Ukraine. 2 days earlier, the Pentagon had put 8,000 troops on high alert for deployment. WIth neither side backing down and talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin to de-escalate the situation unsuccessful, the possibility of a large-scale war continues to loom over the world. 

“The United States is escalating tensions. We are watching these U.S. actions with great concern,” said President Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov, claiming that Russia is not planning for an invasion of Ukraine. While both sides are expressing that they have no intention of starting war, they continue to bolster their forces surrounding Ukraine.  

In a contradictory statement to Peskov, President Joe Biden predicted that Russia “will move in” to Ukraine. Most western countries have chosen to support Ukraine with the U.S. and UK providing weapons and the threat of financial punishment from the U.S. and its European allies. Sanctions targeted towards Moscow have been a large point of discussion, and the U.S. is also considering preventing Russia from obtaining crucial technology needed to power fighter jets via export controls. 

Although a conflict between 2 countries on almost the other side of the world may not appear to be an important matter to the U.S., Ukraine acts as a crucial buffer to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Putin has long expressed concern that the expansion of NATO has encroached on the security of Russia and is now making demands for a legal guarantee from NATO “that would exclude any further NATO moves eastward” as well as bar Ukraine from membership, both demands that have been rejected. While Ukraine has seeked NATO membership for many years and even applied for the NATO Membership Action Plan in 2008, NATO is yet to offer an invitation in part due to corruption within Ukraine. However, NATO has stated, “Every sovereign nation has the right to choose its own security arrangements” as a principle of European security. Ukraine also occupies a highly influential position in Europe as a tipping point between the tug of war of power in Europe between western countries, and Russia and its allies. 

In opposition to Putin’s adamant stance against the possibility of a Russian invasion, recent intelligence by the U.S. State department has shown otherwise. On Thursday, February 3rd, the State department found evidence that Russia plans on fabricating attacks from the Ukraine military to use as a pretense for a Russian invasion. Whether or not Russia does eventually launch some form of a direct attack on Ukraine, the U.S. has made it clear that they are willing to retaliate. John Kirby, the Pentagon Spokesman, told reporters, “It’s important that we send a strong long signal to Mr. Putin and, frankly, to the world that NATO matters to the United States,” continuing that, “we’re going to be prepared to defend our NATO allies if it comes to that.” 

Despite the situation has worsened dramatically in the past couple of weeks, conflict between Russia and Ukraine is not a recent development. The Revolution of Dignity was a Ukrainian revolution that took place in February 2014. With numerous protests and clashes between protesters and riot police, the revolution resulted in the parliament relieving then president Viktor  Yanukovych of duty in an unanimous vote. Yanukovych was known to have close ties with the Russian government, and had been seeking closer relations with the large country. Once he was removed from office, the Russian government refused to recognize the provisional government that was established in Ukraine, and urged citizens in Ukraine to oppose the new rising power. 

Article by Steven Wang of Montgomery Blair High School

Photo courtesy of Unsplash