Reports in the news claim that Ukraine could potentially trigger the next world war. This is justified by the fact that the concerning issues originated during the second world war and is affected by former events and occurrences. When Russia was a part of the Soviet Union it was bordered on the west by other Soviet republics that created a separation and provided protection from the more westernized Europe because of Russia’s lack of natural borders. After a devastating WWII, the cold war began between the Soviet Union and the United States of America. In 1949 the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created for mutual protection from the Soviet Union. The fall of the Soviets led to many former eastern bloc countries joining NATO. just like the cold war was a fight over dominance, today’s is about exerting influence. Despite denials of involvement, Russia views its influence on the Ukrainian Civil war as a defensive measure against the threatening expansion of NATO.
The country of Russia had had many attacks and invasions against them throughout their history. The Russians’ memories and fears of invasion originated because each era of history had a superpower, and each has attacked Russia. The latest was in 1941 when Adolf Hitler’s empire was the biggest in the entire history of Europe, and it had its mind set on conquering Russia. With 3.5 million soldiers Germany gained large amounts of territory, although they were never able to capture any important cities or palaces. Eventually, the Nazis were driven out, but they had done large amounts of damage. There were an estimated number of 8-13 million soldiers and 20 million civilians killed. It is believed that of every country involved, the USSR lost the largest amount of citizens and the highest percent of the population. Their total of 24-26 million casualties is more than what many nations have experienced in the combination of all the wars they have been involved in. All of the invasions of their homeland and integrity, along with the great loss of citizens is burned in the back of every Russian’s mind leading to fear and the will to defend their country from any future attacks. This has lead the nation to look for ways to protect itself because of these assaults.
The neighboring countries of Ukraine and Russia have had a connected history for over 1000 years. Which has lead to there being about 7.5 million ethnic Russians living in Ukraine today and about 25% of Ukraine’s 46 million people claiming that Russian is their primary language. The majority of these Russian, Ukrainians live in eastern Ukraine and on the Crimean peninsula. The countries history together began in the ninth century when they were both parts of the early East Slavic state of Kievan Rus. After the Mongol invasion in the 1200’s the capital, Kiev was left in ruins and the power moved north to a small trading village of Moscow. After the fall of Kievan Rus, its land was split between competing powers. For a long time, the Catholic countries of Poland and Lithuania were in control of Ukraine. Towards the end of the 18th century, imperial Russia took over of the nation, except for the western part of Galicia which was ruled by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Still today the term Galician refers to the Ukrainian speaking citizens of western Ukraine. The czars of imperial Russia referred to Ukraine as “little Russia”. Over a hundred years later in 1917, the first independent Ukrainian state was brought upon by the downfall of its ruling empires. The independence was short lived however because of invasions by Poland. The land was also fought over by the forces of the czar and the Bolsheviks who had come to power. In 1922 Ukraine was annexed into the Soviet Union, and the people's refusal to join collective farms was met with mass executions and a man-made famine that killed about 10 million people, which is called the Ukrainian genocide. After this Joseph Stalin brought millions of Russians in to repopulate eastern Ukraine. Many were overjoyed with the Nazi’s invasion in 1941, until the use of slave labor was instituted, which made many people fight for the Russian military. After WWII thousands of Ukrainians were sent to Siberian prison camps with thousands more being executed for the accusation of cooperating with the Nazis. Over 90% of the population voted to declare independence in 1991 and by January 1992 Ukraine had become an independent nation. “Everybody knows that Ukrainians are Russians,” said KRemlin adviser, Sergei Markov which is why it has still been a very long time since Ukraine has efficiency ruled as a sovereign nation because of the influence Russia has.
The years after the fall of the Soviet Union, their protection from the west became a prominent question. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has been greatly disliked by Russia since its creation. It was formed after WWII alongside the United State’s policy of containment, stopping the spread of communism and Soviet influence. NATO’s signing on April 4, 1949, then the response the US had the “threat” of the Soviets. It was expanded to diminish Soviet expansion, forbid nationalist militarism through US presence, and encourage democratization. The first secretary general of NATO, Lord Hastings Lionel Ismay, said the organization was created “To keep the Russians out, [and] the Americans in”. It can be very easily understood the threat Russia felt by just this statement. After the USSR collapsed there were questions of whether there was still any use for NATO. The organization found its purpose in continuing its other mandates. With the original aim gone the US now aimed to reinforce its power in post-Cold-war Europe and spread their own beliefs and ideals. Since the beginning, the United States has been dominant and has had great influence. NATO has been run in line with US interests which allows them to decide how to expand the US presence while telling the Soviets that their interests would be respected in 1990.
Leaders of modern-day Russia have claimed that the US violated a pledge made that NATO would not expand into East Europe, and by urging countries such as Georgia and Ukraine to join. This is a great concern of Russia’s, not only because of a broken promise but because of the threat they feel by the expansion of NATO and the aggression and hostility that is being shown. When Russia was the Soviet Union it had other Soviet Republics surrounded it that in turn were satellite nations. These formed a buffer zone from the west, their acts of hostility, different values, ideals, and way of life. Mant former Soviet republics have joined NATO and those that haven’t are encouraged to. The possibility of the worse invasion ever experienced is causing a need to defend against the spread of NATO. NATO be essentially lead by the United States, a rival superpower since the time of the Cold War, and the military exercises being performed in countries bordering Russia adds to the importance of gaining protection. The most concerning is that start of military exercises in Estonia, going all the way to Russia’s border. NATO has been making it clear that they wish to antagonize Russia. They seem to be playing a dangerous game in which they want Putin to attack a NATO member and start a global war.
Ukraine is greatly important in Russia’s relationship with NATO because of their political and military importance. Russia looks at Ukraine as a way to protect their interests, while NATO looks at it as a way to gain greater influence. Ukrainian citizens are broken between a greater relationship with the west through NATO and stronger ties to Russia. In early 2014 Russia annexed the peninsula of Crimes which they claim belongs to Russia at about the same time Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the nation would protect Russians living elsewhere. He has put great emphasis on the fact that Crimea is historically Russian in all of his explanations of the annexation. While the annexation is portrayed in a negative light on western media, many are happy with it. Crimean, Demid Kupayev said he had “Witnessed how babushkas came up and said, thank God the time has come for Crimea to return to its historic homeland”. As many Ukrainians that are against annexing Crimea and becoming closer to Russia, just as many fight for a Ukraine that is not just Russia’s “little brother”, but that is actually with the nation.
Russia views its influence on the Ukrainian Civil war as a defensive measure against the threatening expansion of NATO. since their creation, Russia and Ukraine have been connected. Ukraine is the center of the Russia-NATO disagreement and is an example of what all of Europe could be if an understanding is not reached. World war three could come about as a result of poor communication that leads to greater devastation than what is already being experienced.