Russian-Ukrainian war marks one year

By Joseph Zuloaga ’23

At 4 a.m. on Feb. 24, 2022, Russian air and land attacks changed lives of Ukrainians in a heartbeat. Now more than one year later, Ukraine has held its ground against the Russian invasion, showing resilience and bravery.

Social Science teacher Van Whipple stated, “While it wasn’t a surprise, I thought the attack was a strategic mistake that would have the opposite effect of what Russia wanted.”

In this past year, many Ukrainian cities like Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Bakhmut, and the capital Kyiv have felt the wrath of Vladimir Putin’s desire to conquer and unite Ukraine with Russia.

The greater conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, and it has continued ever since with this major escalation threatening peace in Eastern Europe and in the world. Jadon Leung ’23 sees the move by Russia’s Vladimir Putin as him trying to bring back his dream of a new Soviet Union.

Through all of this, Ukrainians have remained determined and have slowly chipped away at Russia’s initial momentum at the brink of the war.

Whipple commented that he has the “utmost respect for the level of valor and bravery shown by Ukrainians.”

Moon Lin ’25 added, “It’s still crazy how people are going through a war over territory in the 21st century.”

To commemorate the solemn occasion, President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 21. In March, the International Criminal Court issued war crimes charges on Russia for the kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children and issued a–largely symbolic–arrest warrant for Putin.

With the war reaching the one year mark of a larger decadelong conflict, the sentiment for a peaceful end is shared across many countries. There’s also concerns that China might be seeking to involve itself in the war on Russia’s side, something the U.S. condemns, further souring US-China relations after the spy balloon incident in January.

“I think a resolution will be the only way to end it because neither side can militarily take/retake the land,” Whipple expressed.

“The end result will likely come at a table, and not the battlefield. However, the status of the war, and who controls what, has a big impact on what will happen at the negotiating table.”