An Understanding Of The Real Cause & Genesis Of The Russia-Ukraine Crisis

The war between Russia and Ukraine is what is on the lips of everyone worldwide as many laments over the crisis and suffering of innocent citizens.

War is not a good thing and the moment bullets, missiles, and weapons start coming, there is a big problem. A lot of people are aware of the Russia-Ukraine crisis but not many understand the real cause of the crisis, where and how it started. The Russia-Ukraine crisis is a result of a series of historical moments, broken promises, mistrust, and suspicion on both sides. From 1922 to date, Ukraine was a satellite state of the federal Soviet Union, governed by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU).
READ ALSO: Use Your Multi Billion Naira Private Jets To Evacuate Stranded Nigerian Students In Ukraine- Uche Maduagwu Calls Out Rich Pastors

That changed with the dissolution of the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev in the late 1980s. Between 16 November 1988 and 26 December 1991, the USSR ceased to become a sovereign state and a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) was formed. Russia became self-governing while Ukraine gained independence in August 1991 and Belarus a few months later.

Now the genesis of the present conflict and Russian invasion of Ukraine can be traced by the expansion of NATO, the military alliance which was formed in 1949 under the North Atlantic Treaty, an initiative designed to “safeguard the freedom, common heritage and civilization of the peoples” following the widespread destruction during World War II.
READ ALSO: One Million Ukrainians Flee Country As Kherson Falls To Russian Troops
However, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and German reunification, NATO’s purpose had to be reviewed. At a meeting in Moscow on 9 February 1990, US Secretary of State James Baker assured Gorbachev that NATO’s forces “would not expand an inch eastwards” or act as a threat to Russia or the newly-independent, former Soviet states.
Russia and NATO have cooperated on several issues such as the fight against terrorism but the Kremlin has always resisted the chance to join and relationships between the two deteriorated after the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Ukraine meanwhile, along with Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina are actively seeking to become signed-up members of NATO and this act is what has caused Putin to take to arms because he feels that Russia’s national security will be compromised.

Ukraine was invited to join NATO at the Bucharest summit in April 2008.

After decades of mistrust, President Putin obviously doesn’t want NATO at his backyard via Ukraine. Before ordering the recent invasion, Putin made it clear that  if Ukraine was to join NATO it would serve as a direct threat to the security of Russia, and even if they have tried to convince Russia that NATO is of no threat, he won’t take their word for it.

Following the invasion, many have stated that Putin launched the military assault with the aim of reclaiming Ukraine as part of a broader plan to reconstruct the old Soviet Union.
But Putin has come out to justify the Russian invasion, describing it not as an invasion with the intention of occupying Ukraine but as “a special military occupation” and to “demilitarize and neutralize” the threat from their neighboring country.

Trending video of the day;

Photo Credit: Getty