The Ukraine Crisis

                 – Dr. Igor Polikha, Ukraine’s Ambassador to India.

|Aakash Singh Sajwan|

  Although 15th February was a normal day in Uttarakhand. People predicting the polling result, but about 4,000km due West there was other prediction which was taking place regarding the Russian invasion on Ukraine. In contrast to the normal life in Uttarakhand there was a completely chaotic situation in Ukraine amidst of 1 lakh soldiers and more than 92,000 Russian troops amassed near its border. Although invasion didn’t take place on Wednesday and all the doomsday predictions fueled by the prominent States came to naught and it was just a normal Wednesday for Ukrainians by God’s grace. And indeed Igor Konashenkov, the Chief Spokesperson of Defence Ministry, Russia stated “As Training comes to an end, the troops will march back to their home stations.” In addition to it pictures of Russian tanks, equipment returning were shared amid of claimed Russian cyberattacks on Ukraine. This released pressure from the valve for a while but still inevitable questions persists “What if Doomsday prediction was true?” and “ Why there is crisis in Ukraine?” I will write another article for the former question but will answer the latter in this one.

 WHY THERE IS CRISIS IN UKRAINE?

I would like to answer this question from 3 different perspectives. From the perspective of:

(a) Ukraine

(b) Russia

(c) World

(a) Ukraine’s perspective

  Claiming that the crisis unfurled merely due to the Russian’s disruptions is not correct.

 An another reason for this crisis lies within the history, demography and in the name of Ukraine itself.

 “In the name of Ukraine” might have caught many attention. Yes!! It used to be “The Ukraine,” but after breaking away from the Soviet Union in 1991 the name changed to just “Ukraine”. That distinction actually turns out to be pretty important for understanding the current crisis.

 The Ukraine means “ The borderland” in the language of Slavs. In other words, it may have been called “the” because it was considered more of a geographic region than an independent country.

“Ukraine” on the other hand denotes the country. And, the use of both the names in regular practice by the World and within Ukraine is certain to demonstrate the clash between ideologies.

 On the basis of demography, we all know, Ukraine touches its border with European countries on West and with Russia on East. The Western Ukrainians are very much influenced by Europeans and moreover, thinks their future is safe with European world and to be more specific with NATO.

 The Ukrainians on East, like natives of ‘Donbass’ are very much influenced by Russians. And are thus more Pro-Russians.

 This distinction between the two can also be seen from their voting patterns in the past.

 On one side, Ukraine has seen ‘Euro Maidan’ protest movement to upthrow despotic Pro-Russian Victor Yanukovych and on other side, has seen East Ukrainians in Donbass (Pro- Russians) rebels fighting for special status for their land.

 If Ukraine doesn’t take necessary steps on time then it is certain to say, like its perturb past and present it will be having its future as well.

  But as of now paraphrasing Igor Polikha “Situation is strenuous, not critical.”

(b) Russian perspective

  Ukraine has been under partial or total Russian rule for most of the period, which is a big part of why one in six Ukrainians is actually an ethnic Russian, one in three speaks Russia as their native language and much of the country’s media is in Russia.

 It’s also why the subject of Russia is such a divisive one in Ukraine: alot of the country sees Moscow as the source of Ukraine’s historical subjugation, while others tend to look on Russia more fondly, with a sense of shared heritage and history.

 Because there had been so much influence of Russia on Ukraine from past and Ukraine acting as a buffer zone for Russia against NATO allies. Thus, Putin can’t afford Ukraine which hails the stamp of being colony of Russia, coming in fold of NATO.

 So what’s better for Russia than annexing and playing psychological war with Ukraine to keep it unstable and under pressure.

(c) World’s perspective

 World has seen Russian endurance, strength when it comes to military warfare. ZAPAD 21 conducted last year in September around Belarus (Russian ally) border had demonstrated how much capable Russian mighty army is. That exercise in fact looked like a warning to Ukraine. Russia showed that they could induct 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers into any place by air.

 In today’s multipolar world it is not hidden that whose on whose side. And this Ukraine crisis too showcased that most of the NATO allies don’t want to participate in the Ukraine-Russia debate.

 On one side, Washington wants to breathe through Moscow’s neck and wants to ratchet up its clutches over Russia.

For Russia, on the other side, it is matter of Putin’s Imperial Russian expansionism prestige who can’t further afford a NATO ally (Ukraine) at its front yard.

 And the most important hidden truth in this jostling is, where America is supplying Javiline missiles to Ukraine to fight Russian tanks, then Russia too is providing weapons to support Eastern Ukrainian rebels to fight the war. One should know the disturbances in the world help weapon industries to survive. USA and Russia both being the arm based economies thrive only when there is disturbance in the world, then be it supplying arms to Taiwan by USA or S-400 to India and weapons to Armenia in past by Russia.

 But sticking to our topic, one should know war can’t buy piece in long run but can ensure disaster and threat to mankind. World should come together to prevent such mischiefs in future and should end such crisis which could ignite WWIII. Because in Donbass itself about 14,000 people have died in 8 years.

 Today’s world is a world of globalisation and each country is somehow interdependent on each other. Such crisis will only hamper the world peace and thus will harm the innocents.

 So a mutual consent should be made between Russia and Ukraine, a more impactful pressure should be built on both sides to have a peace dialogue, because if its not done on time then we will be back to square one next winters.