The origin of the Ukraine-Russian war begins in February 2014 when the Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted from his elected presidential seat by protestors. Due to the change in government, pro-Russian separatists started to rebel against the newly placed Ukrainian government in the eastern parts of Ukraine leading to a Russian intervention.
Due to these events, a highly disputed referendum occurred in Crimea which led to Russia annexing Crimea. After this, Russian-backed militants seized towns in the Donbass region. They soon proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic and Luhansk People’s Republic as independent states. Being backed by Russia, all retake attempts failed. Soon the two countries signed the Minsk 2 agreements to stop the conflicts, but it was not really implemented, and the conflict pretty much stayed the same.
In the beginning of 2021, Russia started to build its military presence on the border of Ukraine and within neighboring Belarus. Due to the enlargement of NATO, Russia then recognized the DPR and LPR as independent states. On 24 February 2022, Putin announced he will conduct a “special military operation.” His goal was to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine.
Putin spoke out and said he has no plans to occupy the country. Russia had a main goal in capturing the capital Kyiv, but abandoned the attack due to stiff resistance being backed by NATO Countries. The war has untimely been a stand still due to the failed attack by Russia and failed counteroffensives by Ukraine.
“They must understand that we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory. All this really threatens a conflict with the use of nuclear weapons and the destruction of civilization, don’t they get that,” said president Vladmir Putin.
This war has led to 18% of Ukraine being occupied, 80,000 Russian deaths and 70,000 Ukrainian deaths, with an effect on a total of 500,000 troops.
“Look, we are not backing down, I am satisfied. We are fighting with the second (best) army in the world, I am satisfied,” said President Vladmir Zelensky.
There seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel as the war continues, and a new war in the middle east is on the rise. We hope for an end to these wars, and for a peaceful resolve.
