History of Russia and Ukraine Essay Example

Abstract

Putin is ultimately responsible for the current escalation of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, and many people are unified in their support for Ukraine. However, to understand the implications of what led up to the war, it is helpful to look at Ukraine's history with Russia and the geopolitics surrounding the region. Throughout the years, many factors have led to the rise of tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

First, Ukraine was part of what is now known as Russia for over seventy years. Because this battle is not an outlier and has been going on for decades, it would be considered a trend. Second, Putin has a track record of using force against Ukraine and other countries. Third, even though Vladimir Putin has been widely vilified for his actions against Ukraine, there are several reasons why he might have felt justified in invading Ukraine.

Sovereignty

Sovereignty is interpreted differently by some of the world's most powerful countries, causing problems in today's geopolitical scene. When examining these notions of power, factors such as development, international relations, global influence, and foreign policy are addressed. Since the Cold War, national sovereignty has been dissolving due to globalization and how countries have become interconnected for goods. Sovereignty "Some portray sovereignty as the power of leaders to act outside the constraints of formal rules in both domestic and international politics, or extralegal sovereignty. Others characterize sovereign power as the quasi-mystical connection between a people and their leader, or organic sovereignty."

There are different outlooks on sovereignty, one of "which emphasizes states' legal equality and the principle of non-interference in their domestic affairs, the extralegal and organic versions of sovereignty offer few constraints on state action. If anything, they appear to license powerful states to dominate others." Sovereignty Older, distinctive concepts of sovereignty have begun to resurface in some countries and pose new challenges to the world order.

Corruption

A truth that could be a contributing factor is the amount of corruption in both Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine is the most corrupt country in the world, only second to Russia. False Friends "Given the positive relationship between the size of the shadow economy and the level of corruption and criminal activities (e.g., Dreher and Schneider 2010; Schneider, 2011), it is conceivable that foreign acquirers are attracted to Ukraine precisely for the lower levels of efficient regulation, taxation, transparency, and higher levels of corruption. Interestingly, our results also suggest that the conflict with Russia has had a positive effect on the number of acquisitions by foreign acquirers." False Friends

The crisis between Russia and Ukraine influences foreign and domestic investment that is closely linked to Ukraine's economy. These investing firms benefit by making non-transparent deals in a country that is in turmoil. Ukraine attracts this type of business for several reasons. "The shadow economy in Ukraine is the result of "insufficient quality of state institutions, ineffective regulatory policy, imperfection of the tax system, unformed competitive environment and corruption" (Vinnychuk & Ziukov, 2013, p. 141). Ukraine's shadow economy can be accredited to criminal activities, like corruption, money laundering, foreign investment tied to mergers and acquisitions, and weak internal policies. False Friends

NATO

NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), a post-WWII intergovernmental military alliance, has continued its eastward expansion and is perceived by President Putin as a threat to Russia and its borders. Ukraine serves as a buffer between the neighboring NATO countries, viewed by President Vladimir Putin as an encroaching threat. "The EU and NATO enlargement and the Eastern partnership offered a geopolitical move and produced a strategic deadlock with Russia." Escalation However, the two have been at odds since Russia's annexation of Crimea, a piece of land that was once a gift to the former Socialist party of Ukraine, the USSR (Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic). 

Ukraine has not yet joined NATO, despite expressing interest because they do not meet the requirements for membership. Most notably, they are constantly in military engagement and must still take steps to clean up their country's massive corruption problem. "The architect of the "containment" policy toward the Soviet Union wrote in 1997 that "expanding NATO would be the most fateful error of American policy in the entire post-cold-war era." NATO Putin has expressed his opposition to the expansion in no uncertain terms.

Escalation

Peace talks, summits, cautions, and threats have all occurred between the two nations post-Soviet Union. In 2013 a collaboration between Ukraine and the EU was offered to Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovych. "In place of EU proposal, Yanukovych had accepted Russia's offer of $15 bn of assistance, a discount in energy price, and increased access to the Russian market. Yanukovych's move to have a cordial relation with Russia triggered hostility among the pro-Western Ukrainians." This act could be regarded as the beginning of the continuing conflict.

Nonetheless, Russia has a history of aggressive behavior, and Putin has been eyeing Ukraine as a way to destroy Western global domination. Unfortunately for him, he underestimated the worldwide backlash. Another noteworthy incident is Russia's response to the Maidan protests, which called for a pro-EU country. Putin seized Crimea, reuniting the country with its former empire. "The Crimean incorporation occurred through the pro-Russian government formation in Crimea by the Sergey Aksyonov government, which conducted a referendum. Accordingly, in the referendum, a majority supported to rejoin Russia. Meanwhile, the pro-Russian representatives were deployed in the Crimean Parliament. "Since the US and EU sanctioned Russia over the annexation of Crimea in 2014, Putin has seen the West and NATO as an ever-growing threat and siting Russophobia as an issue for his country." Escalation

In 1997 former Russian president signed the "Grand Treaty," also known as the "Friendship Treaty," with Ukraine. This agreement would foster economic cooperation and divide the Black Sea fleet. "The treaty ends years of haggling between the two republics, which centered primarily on who controls the remnants of the once-powerful Black Sea Fleet based in the Crimean port of Sevastopol, Ukrainian treatment of ethnic Russians, and Kiev's non-payment for Russian-supplied energy." (Trickey, 1997) This treaty lasted until 2019, when Ukraine decided not to renew.

In 2014, the Crimea incident spawned a separatist movement by Ukrainian Neo-Nazis in Donbas and Lugansk against the Ukrainian government. "And the residents of Donetsk and Lugansk took up arms to defend their home, language, and lives. Were they left any other choice after the riots that swept through the cities of Ukraine, after the horror and tragedy of April 7, 2014, in Odessa, where Ukrainian neo-Nazis burned people alive, making a new Khatyn out of it? But, unfortunately, the same massacre was ready to be carried out by the followers of Banders in Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, and Lugansk" Escalation 

Dysfunctional Warfare

In 2021 there was a buildup of Russian troops on the Ukrainian borders. Vladimir Putin did not state his objectives to the world then but has said in the past that Ukraine and Russia are one people. "Putin believes the West has "expanded" geographically at Russia's expense, and he does not accept that Eastern Europe popular opinion voluntarily joined NATO. For him, democratic movements are the orchestration of covert forces." Dysfunctional

Some believe that Putin is a tyrannical madman and has severely miscalculated his attacks on Ukraine. "Putin's objectives to improve Russia's security in the region and at home have become counterproductive despite attempts to conceal his miscalculated invasion. Stubbornly, Putin believes he can win in the face of setbacks.

Conclusion:

Putin is solely to blame for the present armed confrontation between Ukraine and Russia. The international community has rallied in support of Ukraine. There are many factors why Putin may have felt justified in invading Ukraine. By s Even so, studying Russia's history and the region's geography can help us better comprehend what led to the conflict. For decades, Russia and Ukraine have been at odds. Putin has considered the West and NATO a threat since the US and EU sanctioned Russia after the annexation of Crimea in 2014. Corruption levels in both countries may be a contributing factor. Furthermore, the world's most powerful countries have differing perspectives on sovereignty, which presents problems. These ideas impact development, international relations, world dominance, and foreign policy.