Putin at the Root of Pointless Bloodshed
By The Editorial Team
Just recently declared on February 24th, Russia has gone to war with Ukraine. Within only four days, so much blood has been shed. But, is it even worth it?
Ukraine, a post-Soviet Union country, has struggled for almost the past decade with Russia regarding border issues. Ukraine sits on the border of Russia and many other NATO countries, leaving it vulnerable to being pushed around. Russian president, Vladimir Putin, wants to revive the Soviet Union, including in countries that were formerly a part of the organization (The New York Times). The problem, however, is that Putin disregards the respected sovereignty of Ukraine, and instead, only seems to be thinking of his own interests.
Only a few hours after Ukrainian President Zelensky delivered a speech standing his ground against Putin, Ukraine became hammered with invasions in attempts to try and take over the country. The Ukrainian government has done their best to line up troops along borders, city lines, and in other important areas, such as the capitol city of Kyiv, however, they have had a hard time fending off Russian tanks and bombs. The result has left thousands of homes, cities, and families torn apart. The immense trauma that both military personnel and citizens have had to face in the last few days alone is astonishing. Children have had to endure being woken up by bombs as well as the stress of evacuating their hometowns. This issue was wrongly escalated when it could've been solved in a more peaceful manner.
In addition to the devastation seen in cities, Ukrainian soldiers have had to risk their lives and have had to heroically defend their country and their freedom. So many of these soldiers have suffered terrible fates, including the thirteen Ukrainian soldiers stationed on Zmiinyi Island that refused to back down when a Russian ship ordered them to surrender. In response for defending their country, they were all killed as the Russian ship bombed the island (CNN). How many innocent Ukrainians have to die in order for Putin to put a stop to the war?
The New York Times.
Zmiinyi (Snake) Island./CNN
Ukrainians have stood their ground, the soldiers fighting hard and passionately for their country. With the help of Ukrainian President Zelensky, the country has kept their strength against Russia. All across the world, millions pray in support for Ukraine, the other NATO countries sending troops to their borders for military support. The border issue, which had been resolved back in 2014 with a peace treaty, had seemed to be an issue one could put on the backburner, however, Putin suddenly turned the flame to high after Ukraine began to push back. As Ukraine began to show signs of possibly wanting to join NATO, Putin got increasingly more antsy, as this would mean that Ukraine is drifting farther from their past. So, as a result, after Zelensky defended his country and stood his ground, Putin decided to unleash all havoc (CNN). In addition, there is worry that if Ukraine begins to have the upper hand in the war, Putin will begin shelling out whole cities. The Ukrainian military, although very determined, is stretched thin and does not compare well to the Russian military. Is this really the right answer?
War, for another thing, is extremely expensive. As mentioned before, Ukraine's military is very sparse, and their troops are no match for the countless lines of well-trained Russian troops. The effects that the war has already had on destroyed cities has already been catastrophic, however, the longer this war continues on, and the more serious it gets, the harder the economy will be hit. Already being rather impoverished, especially in older cities, Ukraine will have a harder time building themselves back up without foreign aid (AP). Russia, on the other hand, has a vast array of weaponry and supplies available to them. Putin is, understandably, utilizing these materials, however, he seems to be using Ukraine as a rather sick sort of sandbox to test his tactics on.
As we watch the war unfold further, we are left with nothing but the question of, "Why?" There is no need for all of this bloodshed, trauma, and immense anger over an issue that could've been de-escalated peacefully. President Putin's rash decisions have dangerously changed, and ended, the lives of many, and we can only hope that this horrible war will come to an end soon.
Cover photo courtesy of The New York Times.