March 2022
The Ukraine-Russia War
Article by Alexa Lupsor
A few months ago, nobody thought that a war this massive could rupture in Europe despite all signs being there. Over the past few years, Russia did warn about what might happen if NATO kept expanding in the area but despite this, the Russia - NATO conflict did not get much attention until recently. Now we are here and this war is happening. So far this has affected not only Ukraine but also all the area as millions of Ukrainians have left the country. Many civilians have already fled to neighboring countries such as Poland, Moldova and Romania. At the Polish and Romanian borders, civilians have had access to security, basic necessities and shelter. It is estimated that over four million people have fled Ukraine due to these circumstances.
Since the beginning of the conflict, Ukraine has been supported by NATO with ammunition and other weapons. According to the media this is more a conflict between NATO and Russia than Ukraine and Russia. However the story is not as simple as it seems. Belarus is the official Russian ally but others like China and India, despite condemning the civil casualties of the war, are still not convinced that NATO helping Ukraine is the way to go. To top this up, even countries within NATO, like Serbia are inclined to side with Russia more than with Ukraine.
Russia and Ukraine have had multiple negotiations, however no positive outcome has come out of it yet. There are still hopes that this conflict will finish sooner than later. Ukraine has mentioned on several occasions that they are open to becoming a neutral country and not adhere to NATO. On the other hand, Russia has said that they are withdrawing their troops from Kyiv’s area and focusing more on the two Eastern Ukraine provinces, Donetsk and Luhansk that have declared their independence and are populated mostly by Russian people.
On another note, everybody knows about Putin being a dictator and how he silenced journalists on multiple occasions that did not agree with him, how he has ruled Russia for over 20 years being either the president or the prime minister but little has been known about the Ukrainian president until now. The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has become a symbol of courage and freedom. He has been very present in the media accusing the West of not providing enough support to his country. He has been speaking to the US Congress directly, the EU Parliament and even with our own parliament. But is he a hero? At first glance, he is the perfect picture, he poses everywhere with his beautiful family but only time will tell. In the past he was accused of trying to escape taxes by sending his money to offshore accounts. There are definitely signs that there is more to this story as Ukraine has been considered one of most corrupt countries in Europe for decades.
The real tragedy of this war is the people. The people of Ukraine that lost their homes, the families, the life they had but even if in a smaller proportion, the Russian people, that are now isolated from the rest of Europe, that have had their accounts frozen, their companies closed, their life turned upside down and woke up living in a communist country once again.
Sources:
“Russia-Ukraine War: What We Know on Day 26 of the Invasion.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 Mar. 2022, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/21/russia-ukraine-war-what-we-know-on-day-26-o f-the-invasion.
Gilbert, Asha C. “Who Are Russia's Allies in the Ukraine Conflict and What Is Their Stance?” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 24 Feb. 2022, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/02/24/vladimir-putin-russia-allies-ukraine/6921 212001/.
Anna, Cara. “Russia Demands Mariupol Lay down Arms but Ukraine Says No.” CTVNews, CTV News, 20 Mar. 2022, https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/russia-demands-mariupol-lay-down-arms-but-ukraine-says-no-1.5 826793.
“Kremlin Says It Used Hypersonic Missiles for Second Time.” NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 21 Mar. 2022, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/blog/ukraine-russia-war-live-updates-zelenskyy-accuses-r ussia-war-crimes-n1292404.