Naeem Ul Hassan Kandwal
The Russia-Ukraine conflict is intensifying day by day. The conflict has led to a dangerous escalation of tensions between Russia and the West. Russia has deployed more than 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. Similarly, NATO has increased the number of its forces and navies in Eastern Europe. The United States, Russia’s traditional rival, has ordered its forces to be on alert for possible Russian attacks on Ukraine. The Russia-Ukraine conflict is not new, it has a long history. Before joining the Soviet Union, Ukraine was part of the Russian Empire. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, 14 independent states were formed. Ukraine is one of those independent states. Russia has always refused to recognize Ukraine as an independent state. Russia and Ukraine have a long history. Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, was the capital of the ancient Russian Empire in the ninth century. In 1654, Russia and Ukraine became united in the Russian Empire. Similarly, both Russia and Ukraine remained united in the Soviet Union. According to some historians, during the reign of the Russian Empire, Ukraine has been facing tensions in maintaining its separate identity. After the Russian Revolution, those active in making Ukraine a separate state faced state repression. Even during the Soviet era, strong measures were taken against supporters of making Ukraine a separate state. After becoming an independent state, relations between Ukraine and the West became stronger and stronger. Today, the West and Ukraine are strong allies against Russia. It is one of the major reasons in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Ukraine has a large number of Russian supporters. Ukraine’s domestic politics is divided into two parts. One group favors good relations with Russia, while the other opposes it. In 2014, then Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was in favor of establishing relations with Russia. He faced strong public backlash over good relations with Russia. Protests erupt in Ukraine. The situation became so tense that the President of Ukraine had to resign from his post. The resignation of the Russian-backed Ukrainian president was a major blow to Russia. Russia invades Ukraine’s Crimea region to maintain balance of power in the region. A ceasefire agreement was finally reached in 2015 with the intervention of Germany and France. Despite this ceasefire agreement, tensions continue to this day. Now, tensions have risen to alarming levels as Russia deploys more than 100,000 troops along Ukraine’s border. Russia accuses Ukraine of violating the 2015 ceasefire agreement. Russia blames the West for all this. Russia apparently refuses dialogue. In this regard, the Security Council meeting convened at the request of the United States also failed. In Global politics, Russia and the United States are considered traditional rivals. One’s friend is another’s enemy and one’s defeat is another’s victory. Since the overthrow of the Russian-backed government in Ukraine in 2014, tensions between Ukraine and the West have risen. Ukraine has conducted several Military exercises with NATO countries. Ukraine has also acquired anti-tank missiles from the United States and drones from Turkey. This whole situation is a matter of concern for Russia. According to some defense analysts, the Russia-Ukraine conflict could lead to a third world war. I think the chances of a world war are slim. The whole situation is in Russia’s favor. Russia wants to show its military might to maintain the balance of power in the region
