The Ukraine Crisis: Who has caused more problems, the US or Russia?
Introduction
The Ukrainian/Russian conflict dates back hundreds of years. It is important to remember when discussing this topic that there has been tension between Russia and the rest of Europe over the Ukraine for quite some time. The Ukraine is ethnically divided with the East composed of people mostly identifying as Russians and the West containing those who identify as Ukrainians. This conflict has resulted in much international tension between Russia and other political powers. With the recent invasion of Crimea by Russian military troops, and the vote for Crimea to officially join Russia there has been a resurfacing of violent conflict. The United States has become more involved in the conflict by supplying the Ukraine with military arms and resources. So the question is, who is doing more damage in the Ukrainian conflict, the United States or Russia? While attempting to answer this question it was very difficult to find unbiased information. Because the conflict dates so far back many people hold very strong opinions about it.
This article outlines some of the changes which are currently happening in Crimea because of the Russian occupation. Russia started granting Russian citizenship to Crimean residents and they required any permanent resident of Crimea to either apply for Russian citizenship or declare an intent to maintain Ukrainian citizenship. After April 18th, 2014, those who declared an intent to maintain Ukrainian citizenship were effectively made foreigners in their own homes. The Russians are not allowing people to enter Crimea because of citizenship related issues. Journalists and activists opposing Russia have been forced to flee Crimea for mainland Ukraine due to the risk of being attacked. The de-facto authorities have allowed armed paramilitary groups to abduct, harass and attack activists and journalists. This article focuses mainly on the human rights abuses done by the Russian government to the Ukrainian peoples.
The Moscow Times is a Russian newspaper that has been shut down by the Russian government on several occasions because of it’s sometimes anti-Kremlin views. However, the Moscow Times also produces conservative pieces. Because of this newspaper’s more liberal and uncensored articles as well as the fact that it is situated in Russia leads to the assumption that it is a reliable source.
This article outlines in detail many points as to why America should not be getting involved in the Ukrainian conflict, and how it will only cause trouble. Ukraine is unimportant in global politics, and Russia is a very powerful country, it is more important to maintain a good relationship with Russia than with the Ukraine (in terms of global politics). Washington never guaranteed Ukraine’s safety (allied politicians didn’t make any concrete promises – why is the US even there?). The author makes the seemingly obvious point that Putin is not Stalin, and Russia is not Stalin’s Soviet Union: Putin has not made a legitimate attempt to resurrect the USSR. There has been no genocide in this crisis. The Ukrainian government shares the blame for casualties – about 5,000 deaths over 2 years, divided almost equally between Russia and the Ukraine. Although any deaths in conflict are tragedies, there has not been enough to justify bringing in external forces from the United States.
Forbes has a reputation for being a conservative news outlet, which is interesting because this article would not be a stereotypical conservative viewpoint. This article has some brave statements in it, and some may be shortsighted. The author seems to slightly underestimate Putin and his goals for Russia. Although he has not made a legitimate attempt to bring back the USSR, he has annexed portions of other countries, which is a very undemocratic move.
This article claims that the Ukrainian invasion has slipped beyond Putin’s control. In a documentary Russia broadcasted (created by the Russian government) Putin frankly admitted that he had sent the Russian troops to Ukraine. If Crimea could not be taken by military action, nuclear measures would have been used. Putin’s continued reference of Crimea as a part of Russia exemplify his disconnect. The Crimean region is not acknowledged by any state except Russia as anything but Ukrainian. The author holds the opinion that Putin’s silence demonstrates that this conflict has moved beyond his control.
The article was published on the Chatham House website, a think tank which is a centre for policy research on international affairs.
This article explains that a documentary Putin put out admits that Russian forces helped Yanukovych escape to Russia. Russia initially denied that unmarked troops in Crimea were Russian but later admitted they were. Ukraine’s forces, even with American aid, are not strong enough to defeat Russia. The real solution is to fix Ukraine’s economy and internal stability. Russia has been escalating the situation since they first infiltrated Crimea. It is unlikely that withholding weaponry from the Ukraine will do any good. Russia is claiming that they will be more cooperative in the future in regards to supporting other countries if they can have Crimea, however this is doubtful. This is causing people to lean towards using the Ukrainian conflict as a means to negotiate with Russia. Western society seems to be overlooking that Ukraine has more right to Ukraine than Russia. Russia has been withholding information to their public about how directly they are engaged in Crimea.
Global News is a popular news website and channel, and they are known to be relatively politically centred. Therefore it is a reliable source, and the article is mainly fact, rather than opinion.
The New York Times explains that NATO is slowly surrounding Russia. After WWII NATO agreed upon an alliance to stop Soviet expansion forever. Throughout the years more and more countries have joined NATO and Russia appears to be getting nervous. If the Ukraine joins, there will be only two buffer countries left to protect them. This aspect to the conflict opens another outbreak of viewpoints on this complicated issue.
The New York Times is an extremely reliable source, as one of the worlds most popular and recognized sources for current events and news. This article is valuable because it explains another angle to the Ukrainian- Russian conflict.
Conclusion
It is difficult to answer this question objectively because there is no one side responsible for the conflict, as the feud between Russia and Ukraine dates back more than 100 years. However, we have come to the conclusion that Russia’s dominance in the Ukraine has been much more negative than the American influence. We have come to this conclusion because the information immediately available focuses on Russia’s role in the conflict. It was important to centre in on these sources because they are the sources most accessible to the general public and therefore the information is understandable without extensive background knowledge. The proof of violence and tension caused by the Russian military in Crimea has created a national crisis. The American intervention may have negative effects on the Ukraine and Russia and prolong the unrest, however it appears from research that Russia is the power which is causing the main crisis. By invading the Crimea region Putin has turned the world against Russia, and convinced us that Russia is the major perpetrator in the Ukraine’s difficulties.
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