The Ukrainian Border Crisis

Could Russia be preparing for an invasion? Russia has more than 100,000 troops near the Ukrainian border. This is most likely because Russia wants to prevent Ukraine from joining NATO, which is an international military pact. These forces are causing concern because of what happened between Russia and Ukraine in 2014. In February and March of 2014, Russia annexed Crimea, a part of Ukraine formerly belonging to the Soviet Union.

Since the invasion, there has been a proxy war between the Ukrainian government and Russian backed forces. According to Ukraine’s government, more than 14,000 people have been killed in the conflict, Russian president Vladimir Putin is worried about NATO expanding eastward into what he considers to be his sphere of influence. Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union until its fall in 1991. In 2014, Ukraine drove out a Pro-Russia president and has been electing Pro- Western presidents since then. Currently, the war has led to more than 10,000 civilian casualties, as well as 1.5 million internally displaced people. On Tuesday, December 7, 2021, U.S. president Joe Biden held a 2 hour and 1 minute call with Russian president Vladimir Putin concerning Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine. President Biden called for a de-escalation and a return to diplomacy. Even during the peace talk with Vladmir Putin, Russia was still inching closer to a ground invasion. Satellite photos have been taken of the mounting troops with evidence of artillery, equipment, personal movements, and planning.

In the Spring of 2021, Russia started a different buildup, prompting the U.S. government to call on Russia to explain the presence of these troops. Biden called Putin to express his concern. Russia started a withdrawal in late April. Biden and Putin then had a summit in Geneva where President Biden said that he confirmed the U.S.’s commitment to Ukraine's independence. Recently, there were talks in Geneva, where the U.S. “ certainly urged Russia to de-escalate. Early in January, the U.S. engaged in talks with Russia on the border crisis in Ukraine. Although the talks were “frank and forthright,” said U.S. deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman, the two countries haven’t reached an agreement yet.

Sources

Global conflict tracker

cbsnews.com

Cnn.com