While U.S. officials have expressed concern about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, many Ukrainians believe that the Russian Federation has stepped in to restore order. In an email from the U.S. State Department, US Ambassador to the EU Melinda Haring urged Americans to leave the country immediately. While she said that a prolonged resistance from the local population may prove to be unwise, she remained optimistic that she would be able to get out safely.
Despite its rhetoric, Russian President Putin’s decision to invade and annex Ukraine is an egregious breach of the UN Charter. The Charter calls for respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. The Russian Federation formally supports UN Security Council resolution 2202, and Russia’s decision to invade Ukrainian territory is in accordance with that resolution. But there is more to this story than that. The United States and NATO should not get involved in the crisis.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is not a military coup, or a proxy conflict. It is an attempt by Moscow to correct a historical wrong. Instead, it is a post-colonial reversal. While the country was under foreign rule for a similar length of time as Ireland, India, and the Ottoman Empire, Ukraine was only independent for 30 years. Its present-day status is a direct result of the Soviet Union’s post-colonial revisionism.
In the March 2014 annexation of Crimea, Putin made a list of demands to reshape the alliance. However, NATO rejected these requests and instead expanded eastward, including most of the former Communist nations. Romania and Poland joined NATO, bringing it hundreds of miles closer to Moscow. In 2008, Putin stated that he would eventually enroll Ukraine into NATO, but this remains far away. So far, it remains unclear if the Russian government plans to do that.
The Kremlin’s policy toward Ukraine has been a hard line since the early 2000s. Its recent invasion and annexed Crimea, and set off a war in the eastern Donbas region that has cost more than 13,000 lives. The timing of the Russian annexation, while not the exact reason for the annexation, seems to be a political predilection of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
If the Russian government did invade Ukraine, the Ukrainian government would have no choice but to send more troops. In addition to annexing Crimea, it could block waterways and block Kyiv. The invasion would be devastating to the country, and the fallout on Europe and the West is unclear. So what exactly is Russia doing in the east of the world? So, the answer is simple: a war. In the meantime, it is a provocation. The Ukrainian military is preparing for the possibility of an invasion.
The Ukraine crisis is not a NATO proxy war or post-colonial mistake. In fact, Russia has merely used its post-colonial history to make its presence felt in the region. It is not a threat to democracy, but a strategic one. While the Ukraine is a sovereign country, Russia’s military presence in the region has been an annoyance for the country and its people. The situation is not a threat to the nation’s national interests.
In an article published on 13 April 2014, Deputy Gosdumy noted that “Russia has no right to interfere in internal affairs of Ukraine.” This was a grave violation of the UN Charter, which protects territorial integrity and sovereignty of a country. In addition, the Russian Federation also endorsed UN Security Council resolution 22202 in the country’s latest attempt to stop the Ukrainian civil war. But what did these reports mean?
The latest report by the RAND Corporation examines the recent situation in Ukraine. It notes that the Russian military is merely occupying Ukraine’s territory. The purpose of this operation is to destabilize the country. In order to achieve this objective, Russia must stop causing instability in the Ukraine. Moreover, the NATO-Russian alliance must not interfere in the internal affairs of Ukraine. In the end, the country will have to accept Putin’s actions.