4 | THE BI-WORD
What is going on?
The Russia Ukraine War Explained By Jane Elkins
Regardless, Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24th, telling the Russian people that this was a small scaled military operation that would “demilitarise and de-Nazify Ukraine” and protect the Ukrainian people from what he called eight years of bullying and genocide by Ukraine’s government. “It is not our plan to occupy Ukrainian territory. We do not intend to impose anything on anyone by force,” Putin insisted. The claims of genocide Source: https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/ukraine-conflict-crossroads-eu- and Nazi’s have no factual backing; rope-and-russia regardless, Russian stateMost everyone is aware as been veering towards the controlled media has been of the recent tragedy that has West and has been becoming required to promote that to the occurred in Ukraine. Russia democratized and westernized Russia people. invaded Ukraine on February right on Russia’s border. Putin President Putin has been 24th, causing one of the biggest cites the fall of the Soviet Union shocked by the response from refugee crises in modern times as a “disintegration of historical Western countries towards his as millions of Ukrainians have Russia” and now claims that invasion. fled to neighboring countries. Russia and Ukrainians are one in Although he knew NATO In addition to the suffering the same. would never send troops to and humanitarian crisis from This alongside his refusal Ukraine, he was surprised to the invasion, the entire global to acknowledge Ukraine’s see the harsh sanctions that economy has taken a hit as legitimacy, completely denies have already detrimentally hurt well. Inflation has risen and Ukraine of its own history and Russia’s economy. growth has slowed down. culture. According to Putin, Along with NATO wanting Although most are aware of “Ukraine never had stable to support peace in the east, the current situation, many do traditions of genuine statehood.” Pope Francis has condemned not fully understand Russia’s Russia has aimed to what he calls “a senseless motive behind the invasion, the reverse that and considered massacre where every day complicated history between the the overthrow of Yanukovych slaughters and atrocities are two nations, or what challenges an illegal coup. Russia then being repeated”. The Pope this war imposes on the seized Ukraine’s southern continues to pray for peace and international organizations. region of Crimea and triggered an end to violence. Tensions between Ukraine a separatist rebellion in the east While the conflict is far from and Russia have lasted since and a war that claimed 14,000 over, many in the United States 2014 following the Ukrainian lives. have continued to support Revolution of Dignity where Relations between the Ukraine and will continue to do thousands of Ukrainians two countries have remained so for the foreseeable future. protested and eventually relatively stable since the The sentiments of world peace overthrew the Pro-Russian invasion of Crimea until 2021 and are heard all over the world President of Ukraine, Viktor 2022 where the Russian military and especially thought of for all Yanukovych. Yanukovych upset began building up on the border civilians affected by this conflict. many Ukrainians with his of Ukraine. The United States A quick and fair resolution is refusal to align Ukraine with the sent a strong message that an yearned for by many at home European Union and NATO. invasion would be met with and abroad. Since the collapse of the dire consequences for Russia’s Soviet Union in 1991, Ukraine h economy.
