HOW DID IT START
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Ukraine has declared an independent state but in 2014 its peninsula called Crimea was annexed by Russia. If we talk about its importance then it is a vital source of oil and gas for Russia. According to the Ukraine energy minister, after the annexation, Ukraine has lost 80% resources. There are some ports in this area that keeps on working even during the snowfall and are highly beneficial to Russia in projecting its power on global levels.
PEACE AGREEMENTS
In 2014, there was much tension between both the countries due to which many meetings have taken place but no improvements could be seen in the relations. A place called Luhansk Oblast that shares a direct border with Russia is full of conflicts between pro-Russian separatists and the Ukrainian army due to which about 13000 people have died and 1.5 people have been displaced. To stop this conflict in 2015, the Minsk II agreement was signed in Belarus in which some decisions were taken to solve the tensions between both countries. But no rules were followed according to the agreement. After the failure of the peace agreement of 2015 one more effort was done in July 2020 in which a negotiation happened between Ukraine, Russia, and Organization for security and cooperation in Europe. A decision of ceasefire was taken in this negotiation but again this was a failure because on 30 March 2021 parliament of Ukraine released a statement accepting that the ceasefire on the border has increased and nobody is following the decisions There were two main reasons for the failure of these agreements. The first one is water, according to Russian officials the region has seen its reserves of potable water declined by 60%. Due to winters and less rainfall, this issue has been a crisis for Russia.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
The tension on the Russia – Ukraine border represents a major security crisis for the region, with the potential to snowball into a major border conflict.
Ukraine says that Russia has amassed around 90,000 troops at the border and US intelligence reports say that a Russian invasion of Ukraine is possible as early as next month.
BIDEN -PUTIN VIRTUAL SUMMIT
US president Joe Biden warned president Vladimir Putin Tuesday of a strong western economic response to any attack on Ukraine, while the Kremlin leader demanded guarantees that the NATO alliance not push closer to Russia.
The two leaders met by video link one month ago, a two-hour summit seen as a vital chance for defusing the growing tension on the border with the fear of war in Europe.
President Biden has shown the deep concern of the US and of European allies about Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine, the white house said in a statement soon after the talks.
Biden was clear that the US and its allies would respond with strong economic and other measures in the event of military escalation.
The US leader also stressed “ support for Ukraine‘s sovereignty and territorial integrity and called for de-escalation and return to diplomacy.
WHAT ARE RUSSIA INTERESTS IN UKRAINE
Ukraine and Russia share hundreds of years of cultural, linguistic, and familial links as part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was the second–most powerful Soviet republic after Russia and was crucial strategically, economically, and culturally important.
Ever since Ukraine split from the Soviet Union, both Russia and the west have vied for greater influence in the country in order to keep the balance of power in the region in their favor. For many in Russia and in the ethically Russian parts of Ukraine, the shared heritage of the countries is an emotional issue that has been exploited for electoral and military purposes. For the US and the EU, Ukraine is a crucial buffer between Russia and the west. As tensions with Russia rise, the US and the EU are increasingly determined to keep Ukraine away from Russian control. Efforts to induct Ukraine into NATO have been ongoing for many years and seem to have picked up pace recently. Russia has declared such a move ‘red line ‘ with Moscow worried about the consequences of the US-led military alliances expanding the right to its doorsteps. As it moves a large number of troops towards the border, Russia seeks assurances from the US that Ukraine will not be inducted into NATO. However, the US president has made it clear that he is not prepared to give any assurance. This has left the countries in a standoff, with tens of thousands of Russian troops ready to invade Ukraine at short notice and the west not budging on Russia demands
WHAT NEXT
US officials including the Defence secretary have admitted that they are not sure what Putin’s intentions are. If the diplomatic efforts to stop the invasion fail, US and EU officials have said they may impose hard-hitting sanctions on Russia in the event of military action on the Ukraine border.
CONCLUSION
According to the white house, Biden and Putin agreed that their respective teams would follow up on the summit, underlining that the next US move would be in close coordination with the allies and partners. Russia denies planning to invade Ukraine but satellite pictures showing as many as 100000 troops gathered on the border have set western nations on edge.
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