Russia v. Ukraine
By Aidan Reidy '23
For decades, Europe has been in a state of peace and flourishment, but now in 2022, it finds itself in one of the most brutal modern conflicts since the WWII. President Vladimir Putin of Russia ordered his army to invade Ukraine without warning or a plausible cause.
Russia began mobilizing troops and military equipment near the border with Ukraine in October 2021, reigniting fears of an attack. Armor, rockets, and other heavy armament were seen traveling into Ukraine in November and December 2021, according to commercial satellite images, social media reports, and publicly available intelligence. More than a hundred thousand Russian troops had been stationed along the Russia-Ukraine border by December, and US intelligence sources warned that Russia could be plotting an assault for early 2022.
The US warned in late February 2022 that Russia was planning an invasion of Ukraine, citing Russia's increased military posture along the Russian-Ukraine border. Russian President Vladimir Putin then dispatched soldiers to the rebel regions of Luhansk and Donetsk, which are partly held by Russian-backed separatists in Eastern Ukraine, stating that the forces were needed for "peacekeeping." A few days later, the US imposed sanctions on the Luhansk and Donetsk areas, as well as the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
Subsequently, Putin announced the start of a full-scale land, sea, and air invasion of Ukraine on February 24, at a United Nations Security Council meeting aimed at discouraging Russia from striking Ukraine. Biden called the strike "unprovoked and unjustifiable" and, in collaboration with European partners, imposed harsh sanctions on four of Russia's top banks, the country's oil and gas industry, and U.S. technology exports to the country.
The current crisis has strained relations between the United States and Russia, raising the prospect of a wider European confrontation. Due to alliance security commitments, tensions are anticipated to rise between Russia and nearby NATO member countries, with the United States likely to be involved. Furthermore, the crisis in Ukraine will have far-reaching consequences for future collaboration on vital issues such as weapons control, cybersecurity, nuclear nonproliferation, energy security, counter-terrorism, and political solutions in Syria, Libya, and elsewhere.