What You Need To Know About Russia-Ukraine Crisis

Although, before the whole issue escalated, there has been several diplomatic efforts to ensure the tensions do not become a full blown war.

In December last year, Russia had tightened it's military grip around the borders of Ukraine, amassing thousands of it's military personnel, equipments and artillery near Ukraine's borders.

This recent invasion of Ukraine by Russia has triggered the greatest security crisis in Europe since the end of WW II, which many fear that it might eventually become a showdown between Russia and the Western powers.

One question that will come to mind is this? How did we get here? Could it have been prevented.?

The whole issue can be traced back to 1991, when the then Superpower, Soviet union fell. Ukraine, a cornerstone of the Soviet union voted overwhelmingly for it's independence in a democratic referendum.

Following the fall of Soviet union, in 2004, NATO(a powerful security alliance of countries) pushed towards eastern Europe bringing in the likes of countries that were part of Soviet union, thus increasing the strength and territories of NATO, the countries include Estonia, Lativia, Lithuania. Four years after this, NATO said it'll most likely offer membership to Ukraine in the nearest future which Russia sees as an existential threat, and that was the crossing of the red line. 

In recent times, Putin has stated it emphatically, that Ukraine and Russia are one in terms of culture, linguistics and politics, a position majority of Ukrainians have rejected.

In 2014, mass protest in the Capital of Ukraine, Kyiv forced out a Russia friendly president after he refused to sign an EU association agreement, Russia responded by annexing Crimea, a part of Ukraine, which has led to a lasting war between Ukrainian government and Pro Russian Separatists, a war that has taken over 14,000 lives and displaced 1.5 million people according to reports from Ukrainian government.

Putin is trying to bring Ukraine into Russia and if possible, rebuild the fallen Soviet union.

In December, Putin presented the US and NATO with several security demands, with the main one being that NATO will never allow Ukraine as a member and that NATO will roll back it's military presence in eastern and central Europe. Putin had claimed that US is intentionally increasing it's security presence near Russia borders which is a threat to the security of Russia, this demands has been clearly rejected by US and her allies 

Their stand is that Ukraine is a sovereign nation, has the rights to decide on its own, and as such Russia cannot prevent her from building closer ties with US, NATO and her allies. 

A claim, Putin does not want to hear at all, which led to his final invasion of Ukraine, Putin seeks to topple the Ukrainian government, and then install a puppet government that will go well with Russia.

 With Russia's military might, it'll be difficult for NATO and the US to confront Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the only option available for now is economic sanctions.

And that was how we got here.

Is the NATO and the US at fault by building close military ties with countries that share borders with Russia?

Is Vladimir Putin at fault by declaring war on a sovereign nation?

Is Ukraine at fault by refusing to submit to the demands of Putin?

Let me hear your views in the comments section.