Why is Russia invading Ukraine
2022 - 2 - 24
Russia's war in Ukraine, explained (Vox)
Updates on Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. The conflict is Europe's first major war in decades.
The United States has said it will not involve troops in any Ukrainian conflict, though more US military aid to Ukraine is on its way and the US has shored up its presence on NATO’s eastern flank. The US and Russia worked with Ukraine to denuclearize the country, and in a series of diplomatic agreements, Kyiv gave its hundreds of nuclear warheads back to Russia in exchange for security assurances that protected it from a potential Russian attack. For example, even the SWIFT action is expected to leave some carve-outs so Russia can still export gas to Europe. The tougher the sanctions on Russia, the harder it will hit the US and especially European economies, so leaders are still trying to soften the impact. Yet, days earlier, Putin used these sorts of claims as part of his explanation for recognizing as independent the so-called Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic, the two territories in eastern Ukraine where he has backed separatists since 2014. “Since time immemorial, the people living in the south-west of what has historically been Russian land have called themselves Russians.” Ukrainian officials have said about 11,000 Russian troops have been killed in the fighting, as of March 6, but American and European estimates of Russian casualties have been substantially lower. Putin himself has called on the Ukrainian army to “take power into their own hands and overthrow” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, a sign that Putin remains focused on regime change. On February 28, high-level officials from Russia and Ukraine met at the Ukraine-Belarus border, and again on March 3. Russian troops were advancing toward Kyiv, and thousands and thousands are fleeing in advance of a possible siege on the city. He recognized the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine where Moscow has backed a separatist rebellion since 2014 and sent so-called peacekeeping forces into the region. The battle for Ukraine began in the early morning hours, local time, on February 24, when Russian President Vladimir Putin launched what he called a “special military operation” into the country of about 40 million. On February 26, the United States and European countries agreed to block some Russian banks from SWIFT, a global messaging system, which will essentially prevent those institutions from doing any global transactions, a punishment that allies had previously hesitated to pursue.
What can the west do about Russia invading Ukraine? (The Guardian)
Analysis: Immediate options seem limited and fraught with risk, but if Putin wants less Nato, he may ultimately end up with more.
Some diplomats are optimistic that, unlike with Syria in 2015, there will not be a political backlash, pointing out many Ukrainians have already been welcomed to Europe. As many as 15,000 Ukrainians already live in Berlin. But autocrats have learned that refugees are weapons of war. It symbolised the degree to which the UN has become utterly compromised. In his speech announcing the invasion, Putin warned outsiders tempted to interfere that there would be “consequences you have never encountered in your history” – a chilling veiled reference to nuclear war. There is only Putin.” Another said: “The only thing that will change Russian public opinion is the mothers of Russia seeing the bodybags.” Keir Giles, also from Chatham House, urged the west to be cautious. The coordinated sanctions in Washington, London, Berlin and Brussels being announced on Thursday are billed as massive, but Putin sits on a $600bn (£450bn) war chest and will benefit from oil prices soaring past $100 a barrel.
US will sanction Putin for invading Ukraine, White House says (Aljazeera.com)
Washington, DC – The United States will impose sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin over his decision to invade Ukraine, the White House has said.
Those are not the conditions for real diplomacy.” Numerous rounds of talks between Russian, European and American officials had failed to end the impasse. “This is not real diplomacy. On Friday, the Kremlin said it was “ready” for talks with a Ukrainian delegation in the Belarusian capital Minsk, but Washington appeared to dismiss the offer for negotiations. Asked about US plans to penalise the Russian president for the invasion, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price had said earlier on Friday that Washington was looking closely at “additional options” to pressure Moscow and Putin. “In alignment with the decision by our European allies, the United States will join them in sanctioning President Putin and Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov and members of the Russian national security team,” she told reporters.
Russia invades Ukraine (CNN International)
The battle has begun for control of Ukraine's capital, Kyiv, with fighting on the streets early Saturday. Explosions and gunfire were heard throughout the night as Russian troops advanced on the city. Russia's assault on Ukraine began Thursday and ...
Atlanta: Dozens of people gathered downtown for a “Stand with Ukraine” rally. And they're asking world leaders to stop Russia's attack. He described the demonstration as peaceful and “more pro-Ukraine than anti-Russia.” “Today, we are acting to show our solidarity with the Ukrainian people as they defend their country. And while these are important steps, it is incumbent upon President (Joe) Biden to take a stronger, more decisive leadership position to end this war.” “The invasion of Ukraine by Soviet dictator Vladimir Putin cannot stand, and the people of the Commonwealth are ready to rally in opposition to this senseless attack on a sovereign nation and western ideals,” Youngkin said.
Fighting reaches Kyiv as Russian invasion of Ukraine intensifies (The Guardian)
After early morning missile attacks, Russian forces advanced to the city's outskirts from three sides on Friday as Ukrainian soldiers set up defensive positions ...
It is a lie; they do not distinguish in which areas to operate,” he said, vowing to continue defending his country and criticising world leaders for “watching from afar”. We need to choke the Russian system and in particular further target the oligarchs,” he said. In the village of Starognativka, near the frontline where separatists have faced off against Kyiv’s forces for years, a local official, Volodymyr Veselkin, said missiles had been raining down all morning and the power was out. Zelenskiy said in a televised address that Putin was targeting civilian as well as military sites. Witnesses said loud explosions could also be heard in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-biggest city, close to the border with Russia, while air raid sirens sounded over Lviv in the west. The US president, Joe Biden, and his Nato counterparts sought to reassure member countries on the alliance’s eastern flank, from Estonia to Bulgaria, that their security was guaranteed as Russian forces advanced on Kyiv. “Horrific Russian rocket strikes on Kyiv,” Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, tweeted. “Moscow bears sole responsibility for the deliberate, cold-blooded and long-planned invasion.” Streams of people – mostly women and children, since Ukrainian men aged 18-60 are forbidden to leave – crossed into Hungary, Poland and Romania, with 15-hour queues reported at border points. “When bombs fall on Kyiv, it happens in Europe, not just in Ukraine,” he said. “No one is planning to occupy Ukraine,” Lavrov said, insisting Russia’s troops were freeing Ukraine from “oppression”. “When missiles kill our people, they kill all Europeans.”
Russia's invasion of Ukraine: what we know so far (The Guardian)
Gunfire has been heard in central Kyiv and there are reports of heavy fighting in the city's northern suburbs as Russian forces close in on the Ukrainian ...
We are not afraid of anything,” he said. Ukraine has said it is willing to discuss declaring itself a neutral country. Officials said a tower block had been set on fire. Amid Ukrainian anger at the bloc’s reluctance to cut Russia out of the Swift international payments system, EU foreign ministers are to approve further measures on Friday afternoon. “We are not afraid. Russian forces have taken the city of Sumy in north-eastern Ukraine, according to a resident who said there were Russian military vehicles in the streets.
Why does Russia want Ukraine? (University of Rochester)
A University of Rochester expert on international conflicts explains some of the reasons behind Vladimir Putin invading Ukraine.
Everybody in academia and most of the world thinks that nationalism is the justification and the basis of a state. He has puppets in Kazakhstan, he has puppets in Belarus and elsewhere that he can control. There is talk of giving Putin an “off-ramp” but that completely misses the point that Putin is afraid domestic enemies might overthrow and kill him, and there’s little the West can do to address those fears. He said the borders that were drawn by Lenin and by Stalin, partially as a result of the First and Second World War, are illegitimate and have to go. If Russia is successful, the world will change and NATO will have to rearm and all countries will have to spend more on defense. GOEMANS: One thing he said in his speech, which is just stunning, is that nationalism cannot be the basis of a state. That’s why he may do some very risky things—which is called “gambling for resurrection”—in the hope it’ll keep him in power. And the reason for that, from the theory of warfare and from a leader perspective, is that he does it to ensure his personal survival. It could still be considered a war over territory but only in the sense that he wants to annex the entire Ukraine, which seems to me unlikely to succeed. He wants to prevent more of these revolutions and prevent a democratic encirclement of countries around him, which could provide a safe haven for Russian dissidents who’d be dangerous to Putin’s political survival. Both of these goals overlap in the sense that he is seeking regime change, which is a dangerous game. At the same time, Russia can’t promise credibly not to ask for more if Ukraine made some concessions now, whether it be territorial concessions, regime change, or a promise not to join NATO.
Determined Ukrainian Resistance Slows Russian Advance (unknown)
Ukraine is now fighting a multi-axis war against an invading Russian army with an estimated 200000 personnel. Western allies respond to Russia's attack.
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How Russia Attacked and What Happens Next (unknown)
Explosions thundered in Ukrainian cities shortly after President Vladimir V. Putin declared the start of a “special military operation.”
In a lengthy speech, Mr. Putin presented his case for aggression against Ukraine, calling it an artificial creation of the Soviet Union that was manipulated into declaring independence. Ukraine, the United States and others have condemned Russia’s aggression and dismissed Mr. Putin’s justifications. Some member nations, which must vote unanimously, remain concerned about extending military commitments and have doubts about the strength of the rule of law in Ukraine, a young democracy with extensive corruption. The United States and European Union allies have announced a range of limited sanctions already, targeting much of Mr. Putin’s inner circle. NATO, the military alliance that includes the United States and European powers, has added members in Central and Eastern Europe that had once been Soviet states or part of its sphere of influence, including Hungary, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and the Czech Republic. “They go straight to hell, ambassador.” “There is no purgatory for war criminals,” Mr. Kyslytsya said. Russia said its forces had disabled all of Ukraine’s air defenses and air bases, while Ukraine’s military said it had shot down six Russian planes and one helicopter. Starting last fall, Russia began to mass troops along its border with Ukraine and in Belarus, an aligned former Soviet state. His announcement came as the United Nations Security Council held an emergency meeting, stunning ambassadors who had to deliver impromptu reactions to the rapidly changing events. Long lines of cars moved out of Kyiv, many heading west in hopes of finding sanctuary in one of the few parts of the country not ringed with Russian forces. Ukrainians lined up at bank machines and stocked up on groceries.
Russian invasion of Ukraine enters third day (unknown)
Reports of artillery blasts in Kyiv as Ukrainian President Zelenskyy warns of impending Russian assault on the capital.
… A nuclear power, a great country; who have you decided to play with?” Zakharova said in televised remarks. The overall mood is one of horrendous fear of what’s going to happen next.” Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Friday demanding that Moscow immediately stop its attack on Ukraine and withdraw all troops. There was no immediate word on a timetable for an assembly vote. Zelenskyy wants everyone to fight,” he reported. There are armoured [Russian] columns heading towards the city,” he said. These countries also eased their usual border procedures, including COVID-19 testing requirements. The pope broke protocol with an in-person visit on Friday to the Russian embassy to “express his concern about the war” in Ukraine. “Furthermore, there are a number of places in the city where people can get a gun of their choice, particularly an AK-47, to defend themselves and that is the policy of the presidency. The Russian military on Friday said it had encircled the cities of Sumy and Konotop in northeastern Ukraine but was “taking steps to ensure civilians’ safety”. But on Friday, Zelenskyy released a video of himself and his senior aides outside the presidential office in Kyiv to reassure Ukrainians that he and other top officials would stay in the capital. The invasion of Ukraine began early on Thursday with missile attacks on cities and military bases, followed by a multipronged ground assault that rolled troops in from separatist-held areas in the east; from the southern region of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014; and from Belarus to the north.
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