*PAROMITA DAS
Tensions between Ukraine and Russia are at an all-time high, with fears that Moscow may launch an invasion fueled by a Russian force build-up near the two countries’ borders. After erupting in early 2014, the conflict in eastern Ukraine has devolved into a stalemate. but shelling and clashes still occur on a regular basis, with an intensification of violence expected in 2021. Ukraine has warned that Russia is attempting to destabilise the country beforehand of any military invasion plans. Western governments have frequently warned Russia not to escalate its aggression against Ukraine.
The movements and concentrations of soldiers in and around Ukraine have been labeled as “unusual” by the US and NATO. Within the latter half of 2021, satellite photographs revealed Russian weapons on the move at a training field about 186 miles from the border, including self-propelled artillery, battle tanks, and infantry fighting vehicles.
According to the most recent intelligence assessment released by the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, Russia has deployed over 127,000 troops near Ukraine, including 21,000 air and sea personnel, transferred more Iskander operational-tactical missiles to the border, and increased its intelligence activity against the country.
Three rounds of diplomatic negotiations between Russia and also the West aimed toward de-escalating the issue did not achieve a settlement, according to the report.
The Russian foreign ministry announced variety of demands in mid-December 2021, including a ban on Ukraine joining the Atlantic Ocean Treaty Organization (NATO) and a reduction of NATO troops and military equipment in Eastern Europe in exchange for the withdrawal of its military forces.
The US and other NATO partners have rejected these requests, warning Russia of retribution, including economic sanctions, if Ukraine is invaded, and other support, including small guns and other defensive hardware, has been deployed to Ukraine. The reason for the turmoil Conflict between Ukraine and Russia, both former Soviet republics, rose in late 2013 as a results of a historic political and trade agreement with the European Union.
Weeks of protests in Kyiv exploded into bloodshed after the pro-Russian then-President, Viktor Yanukovych, cancelled the talks, purportedly under duress from Moscow. Later, in March 2014, Russia seized Crimea, a self-governing peninsula in southern Ukraine with significant Russian ties, ostensibly to shield its and Russian-speaking inhabitants’ interests.
Thousands of Russian-speaking forces, called “little green men” but eventually identified as Russian army by Moscow, surged into the Crimean peninsula first. Within days, Russia completed its annexation during a contest denounced as unlawful by Ukraine and therefore the rest of the globe. Pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine’s Donetsk and Luhansk regions declared independence from Kyiv shortly after, sparking months of bloodshed.
Despite the fact that Kyiv and Moscow signed a peace accord in Minsk in 2015, with France and Germany as sponsors, ceasefire violations have occurred on multiple occasions. Since April 2014, violence in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatist militants and also the Ukrainian military has killed over 10,300 people and injured almost 24,000, in line with conservative estimates. Despite Moscow’s denials, Ukraine and NATO have confirmed Russian troop and military equipment build ups near Donetsk, also as Russian cross-border firing.
Economic sanctions targeting persons, entities, and certain sectors of the Russian economy are imposed by the European Union and therefore the United States in reaction to Russia’s activities in Crimea and eastern Ukraine. Ukraine is accused by the Kremlin of inflaming tensions in Ukraine’s east and breaking the Minsk ceasefire accord. The deals incorporate a cease-fire, the removal of heavy weapons, and complete control of the conflict zone by the Ukrainian government.
Attempts to barter a diplomatic settlement and a satisfactory resolution, however, have failed. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2014, NATO beefed up its defences “in the eastern portion of the alliance, within the Baltic nations, in Latvia, but also within the Black Sea region,” according to Stoltenberg. Ukraine is not a NATO member; hence it does not enjoy the same level of protection as NATO members. However, Stoltenberg failed to rule out the concept of Ukraine joining NATO, stating that Russia doesn’t have the authority to inform Ukraine that it cannot pursue NATO membership.
Since the conflict began in 2014, Ukraine has been the victim of variety of cyber-attacks. An attack in December 2015 knocked off electricity to over 225,000 people across Ukraine, and a similar strike targeting a Ukrainian utility company knocked out power to portions of Kiev again in December 2016. The NotPetya cyber-attack affected Ukrainian government and business computer systems in June 2017; the debilitating attack, ascribed to Russia, extended to computer systems worldwide and caused billions of dollars in damages.
During the Trump administration, security support to Ukraine expanded even more, as did pressure on Russia for its role in eastern Ukraine. The US imposed fresh sanctions on twenty-one people, including variety of Russian officials, and nine firms tied to the conflict in January 2018.
The State Department approved the transfer of anti-tank munitions to Ukraine in March 2018, the first such shipment since the crisis began. In October 2018, Ukraine participated in an exceedingly series of large-scale air drills in western Ukraine with the United States and seven other NATO members. The exercises occurred after Russia’s greatest yearly military exercises since the breakup of the country in September 2018.
If Russia grows its position in Ukraine or into NATO countries, the war in Ukraine risks deteriorating further and escalating further. Russia’s actions in Eastern Europe have raised concerns about its intentions, and a Russian intervention into NATO territory would trigger a NATO ally’s response.
The battle has heightened tensions in Russia’s relations with the US and Europe, hurting prospects for collaboration in other areas like counter-terrorism, restriction, and a political solution in Syria.
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