With the horrible news of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, it feels like war is an ever-looming threat. It can be so hard to find accessible resources to explain what is going on and misinformation can be overwhelming. The best way to stop panicking is to take steps to understand the situation. Here is a very simplified overview of what is happening.
From 1988-1991, the Soviet Union was a conglomerate of 14 Soviet countries. After it was dissolved, Russia still felt as though many soviet countries were its property. Some of them were okay with this, and some weren’t. Ukraine did not want to be under the control of Russia. However, there are two regions of Ukraine that are Pro-Russia and are on their shared border (that is important information for later).
America, the UK, and many European countries are part of an organisation called NATO. Amongst many things, NATO sets out rules and agreements about how we can own nuclear weapons. Russia is not part of NATO, nor does it support it. However, Ukraine now wants to join NATO, which Russia has branded as a threat to their borders and safety.
Ukraine is not an official member of NATO currently, but is a ‘partner country’ which means they may be allowed to join in the future. Russia wants Western members to guarantee this will never happen. If Ukraine was in NATO, all other NATO countries would be obligated to protect them against an invasion from Russia.
In December of 2021, President Putin stationed troops on the border between Russia and Ukraine which caused rumblings about an invasion. On the 21st of February, Putin moved to recognise the two regions of Ukraine that are pro-Russia as independent states. This meant he could move troops into these areas, which was a pretty clear indicator he was planning an invasion.
Western countries have spoken out against Putin and in an effort to stop him invading Ukraine, placed sanctions on Russia. Sanctions are (typically financial) punishments used as a deterrent for war. However, the sanctions were criticised for not being strong enough as they were shirked off by government officials rather quickly.
The USA and the UK have supplied Ukraine in hopes they can fight back; however, it is unlikely to be enough to overpower Russia’s incredible military power.
So why this is scary for us? Besides fear for our friends in Ukraine, the UK has previously agreed they will protect Ukraine from any act of aggression that threatens their borders. Because Ukraine is a European country, we have a duty to try and help them. Russia has also made demands about NATO, such as Ukraine’s exclusion, and a wish NATO will remove its presence from certain parts of Europe. Neither the UK nor the US are willing to do this. Hence, there are worries this will escalate into a full-scale world war.
It a complex topic that has its roots in conflicts existing before the last World War, but that’s the bones of it. The best we can do as young people is stem the flow of misinformation and use our voices in useful ways.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Ukraine.