RUSSIA’S ANNEXATION OF UKRAINE
Amidst the war, Russia continues to try and annex more Ukrainian territory.
A Ukrainian peace flag waves in the wind.
“… recently, Ukrainian forces have been pushing and driving the nation further back.”
The war between Russia and Ukraine is ongoing as Russia continues to attempt to annex more sovereign Ukrainian territory these last few months. In their resentment of Ukraine becoming independent after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia believes that the country still belongs to them, and is important for the rebuilding of “Historical Russia”. In their fight to keep themselves independent from the global superpower, many Ukrainian people have died, lost their homes, and have been forced to flee the country. And with no end in sight, the war continues to devastate and destroy.
Ukraine officially broke apart from Russia in 1991, after a chain of events (namely, The Cold War and democratization) caused the collapse of the Soviet Union. Since then, the nation has followed an independent path, with developments in their own democracy and reform, and integration among the other European nations. Many Ukrainians enjoy their independence and their newfound democracy, however with the splitting of the two countries being recent, some sour feelings are still present. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, has made many claims of the two nations still being in unity, despite many Ukrainians not feeling the same way. The war officially broke out February 20th in 2014. However, it has recently gained major traction as of the 24th of February, 2022, when Russia made major advancements into Ukrainian territory. Ever since then, developments about the war come almost daily.
Eastern Ukraine has taken the most of the fall as Russia advanced. Being the closest to the border, with the Russian capital merely a few hundred miles in the distance, overtaking these areas have been important for Russia to continue advancing into the nation’s boundaries. Many Ukrainian cities share routes with Moscow, which are important for transporting supplies to aid Russia’s army. However, as often as news about Russian progress comes, recently, Ukrainian forces have been pushing and driving the nation further back. Attempts at annexation earlier in the war were easier met for Russia, but now, as countries from the United Nations continue to fund Ukraine and show their support, the smaller nation has been able to gain back some of what they lost.
Many countries, like the United States, show their support very openly, however in an effort to possibly stop Russia from declaring war on more than just Ukraine, have limited their support to funds and supplies. President Biden has urged that members of the United Nations continue to support Ukraine against Russia’s illegal attempts of annexation.
Many people are unsure if the war will end anytime soon. It has been going on for over 8 years at this point, and has only recently become a major talking point. The United Nations continue to stand against Russia’s attempts of illegally taking control of Ukrainian land, and as funds and support keep making their way to the nation, it is expected that Ukraine will continue to gain more of their land back.
Sources Cited:
https://mfa.gov.ua/en/10-facts-you-should-know-about-russian-military-aggression-against-ukraine
