After two years of lockdowns, restrictions and ‘unprecedented times’, one would think that when we could finally step outside, we would find comfort in the world that has emerged. Well, unfortunately, that has not happened. We emerge from COVID-19 with the threat of war looming over us, and yet, we are still the lucky ones here in North America, as we do not have to worry about air raids and escaping to another country. However, these are very real issues that face many Ukraine people as Russia formally launched a large-scale invasion on February 24th, 2022. If you are like me — a non-Ukrainian with (shamefully) little knowledge of these specific political relationships — this led to a deep dive into the history of Ukraine and Russia as I struggle to understand what is happening, why it’s happening and what this could mean for the world. Today, I will give you a very brief, and hopefully easy to understand, breakdown of what is going on in the world right now.
The main question that is bouncing around now is: Why is Russia invading Ukraine? The long answer involves a deep dive into the complicated history between Russia and Ukraine and the belief that Ukraine should not be independent. The shorter answer is that Putin (the Russian President) believes that Ukraine still belongs to Russia, stating that Russian and Ukrainian people are “one people”. This is problematic as Ukraine formally declared its independence in 1991 when it separated itself from the former USSR (the Soviet Union or what is now Russia). Most Ukrainian people believe in their separation from Russia and think of their country as it is today — a sovereign nation. As one can imagine, the difference in ‘opinion’ about whether Ukraine belongs to Russia or not is a direct threat to Ukraine’s sovereignty and safety. So, why now? There has been conflict between Russia and Ukraine for years, why does he choose now to invade? Well, after lengthy diplomatic missions between Ukraine and Russia, that didn’t really end up anywhere, the Ukrainian President (Zelenskyy) along with many Ukrainians thought it best to turn towards organizations such as NATO and the EU. The kicker being if Ukraine enters NATO, then Russia would not invade Ukraine and risk a war with 30 other countries, so Putin sees this opportunity as an almost last resort.
The second question that is asked is: What does this mean for the rest of the world, and what does NATO have to do with it? Well, these are good questions, and I will try to answer them simply. For those who don’t know, NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization that signifies a military alliance between 30 different countries, including Canada and the United States, created as an anti-Russian expansion tactic. Essentially, the main point of this agreement is that if one of these countries were to be attacked, the other countries who have signed would come to the aid of that country. The reason this is significant now is that Ukraine is not a part of NATO, thus this alliance has no obligation to come to Ukraine’s aid, despite the major push to do so by many people. What some fail to realize is that with the NATO intervention, comes American intervention — and if history has taught us anything it’s that conflict between Russia and the United States never leads somewhere pleasant. While NATO countries cannot intervene directly, many countries are sending weapons to help Ukraine the best they can. For the rest of the world, now, all we can do is wait and try to support our friends and family who are directly impacted by this conflict as the future is very uncertain as to when this conflict will end.
The final question that I hope everyone is asking themselves, I know I’ve been, is what can I do to help? If you, like many others, feel that you wouldn’t survive three seconds in the military, well luckily for you, no one is asking you to do so… yet. However, there are other ways you can help! Donating money is a great way to help. Many organizations including UNICEF, Humanitarian Coalition, Red Cross, Canada-Ukraine Foundation and many more are accepting money. If you are not in a place to donate money, that’s okay. There are many places (such as MEEST, University clubs and others) that are accepting care packages with non-perishables, clothing, hygiene products and many more.
This is a very scary time for many people, so be gentle with yourself and others. Remember to take breaks from social media and allow yourself a second to breathe, despite our natural need to know what is going on at every second. The future is very unclear, something that we are unfortunately not unaccustomed to, so hold your family and friends close.
For more information about Ukraine and Russia, there are now books on the Laurier Library website that available: https://ocul-wlu.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/collectionDiscovery?vid=01OCUL_WLU:WLU_DEF&collectionId=81215932070005156