The Underlying History of Ukraine and Russia

Recently the headlines have been filled with news of the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the impending war in Europe. Theories of an imminent 3rd world war are rife in the media right now as tensions continue to rise between the USA and Russia as Russia continues to advance into Ukraine, but what started this chaos and what does it mean for the future of Ukraine, Europe, and the world?

To fully understand where the tension between Russia and Ukraine started, we have to look back to the Soviet Union. When the Soviet Union fell, Ukraine had the 3rd largest stockpile of nuclear weapons which, between agreements with the USA and Russia, were all given to Russia and in return, Russia would provide military assistance and protection to Ukraine. Ukraine is a country strategically acting as a barrier between Russia and Europe, that Russia would like to remain in control of to hold onto some of the power lost during the fall of the Soviet Union.

However, Ukraine has been trying to create stronger ties with the European Union whilst facing pushback from pro-Russian politicians, most notably, President Viktor Yanukovych. President Yanukovych refused to sign the political association and free trade agreement with the European Union, instead favouring an agreement from Russia. This led to a series of protests starting on the 21st of November 2013, which led to the removal of President Yanukovych from his position and a new interim government being set up. Russia refused to accept the interim government and deployed troops to Eastern Ukraine. Russia then annexed Crimea which was widely seen as part of Ukraine. Eventually, on the 24th of March, Russia stated they would respect the Ukrainian people and would work with the President elected during the snap election happening in May of 2014 however conflict between Russia and Ukraine has continued on the border of the two countries.

That all leads to the current crisis in Ukraine. Ukraine and NATO have been developing closer political alliances, with Ukraine expressing interest in eventually joining NATO. Russia, desperate to keep its sphere of influence on Ukraine, saw this as a threat despite American President Joe Biden stating that Ukraine wouldn’t be joining NATO any time soon. However, Ukraine is the 4th largest receiver of aid from the USA and the intelligence connections between the USA and Ukraine is increasing.

In response to the growing threat of Ukraine developing deep ties with NATO (an anti Soviet organisation) Russia started deploying weapons and more troops to the Ukrainian border, which was picked up on satellite footage from spring of 2021.Since then, peace talks between Russia and the US have been unsuccessful, with Russia providing the US with a list of demands including banning Ukraine membership to NATO. The USA claimed these demands were a non-starter, with no agreement being put into place. Many European heads of State including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf schloz have met with Russian President Vladmir Putin to attempt to defuse the explosive situation. Whilst all parties claimed diplomacy was still an option, no formal agreement was ever reached, and Russia entered Ukraine on the 24th of February.

Since then, many parts of Ukrainian including the southern city of Odessa, the city of Kharkiv, the capital city of Kiev and many other parts of the country, have faced heavy military agression from Russian troops, with many cities being showered with bombs and bullets.

The USA had said any attempt to invade Ukraine would be met with heavy resistance and sanctions which could potentially cripple the Russian economy, and they stuck true to this promise. The USA sanctioned 5 Russian banks and has completely isolated Russia from the world economy, leading a crash in the Russian stock market, and causing the value of the Russian currency, the ruble, to fall. Russia (despite the momentous economic crisis) continues their assault on Ukraine, as more and more of the international community imposes sanctions, furthering Russia’s alienation from the world. Ukraine’s future hangs in the balance as the world watches with baited breath to see what Russia does next. Both Ukrainian citizens and politicians are fighting for their country, with even the President of Ukraine joining the front lines of war. As Ukraine fights for freedom and Russia becomes more and more isolated, this crisis continues to grow, with an uncertain future for both Russia and Ukraine.

Dia Nanda

11F