Escalation in Ukraine

by Edgard Lacayo

Russia has further escalated hostilities in Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin has recognized the Luhansk People’s Republic and the Donetsk People’s Republic. According to the Russian ambassador to the United Nations, they did this to prevent a bloodbath in the republics. Also according to the ambassador, the Ukrainian government is attacking their citizens and threatens them with artillery bombings. He called for the Ukrainian government to respect the will of the peoples of the Donbass, their right to use the Russian language, and their right to teach it in schools. The Ukrainian government has claimed that the actions are illegal and illegitimate. Their ambassador to the UN has stated that Ukraine’s borders will remain unchanged regardless of Russia’s actions, and that the leadership in Moscow will bear the full responsibility of this action. He also called for the immediate withdrawal of troops from the regions and to cancel its recognition of the republics. The Ukrainian president has stated “We are on our land. We are not afraid of anything or anyone. We owe nothing to anyone. And we will not give away anything to anyone.” 

The General Secretary of NATO has also denounced the action. He stated that Russia is undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also said this action erodes the path to a diplomatic solution and that it is a violation of the Minsk Agreements. These are agreements designed to stop the fighting in the Donbass region when the war initially broke out. 

During a UN security council emergency meeting, Russia was widely criticized and isolated by the international community. Russia stated that their actions had been in order to protect the Russian speaking populations of Donetsk and Luhansk. He also stated that Russia is open to diplomacy. Western nations like the United Kingdom and France warned Russia of further escalations. The U.K. said that Russia has brought them to the brink of war while France stated that Russia is choosing a path of confrontation. The U.S, meanwhile, warned Russia of escalating the conflict, the U.S. ambassador to the UN accused Putin of wanting to go back in time to when empires ruled the world. She stated that Russia is stuck in 1919 while the rest of the world is in 2022. Most surprising of all, even China sided with the west. China and Russia normally support each other on the international stage but the Chinese ambassador to the UN states that all sides must urge caution and avoid fueling tensions. 

On February 24, Russian forces launched a full-scale invasion in Ukraine. Airstrikes have been launched on Ukrainian military bases and the Russian military has seized the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant.