The Russo-Ukrainian War: What You Need to Know
On the 24th February, after months of growing tensions, Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The tensions between the two countries started with NATO debating extending a Membership Action Plan (MAP) to Ukraine in 2008, something Russia strongly contested, with Putin telling then US President George W. Bush that Ukraine is “not even a real nation-state”. Ukraine was not offered a MAP at this time.
In February of 2014, Russia seized Crimea. This annexation of the Ukrainian peninsula, which had a predominantly ethnic Russian population, was strongly condemned by the United Nations and the European Union.
Current president of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected on 21st April 2019. During his election campaign, Zelenskyy promised to end the war with Russia and root corruption out of the Ukrainian Government
Putin started sending more troops to the Ukrainian border after Zelenskyy started cracking down on pro-Russian Ukrainian oligarchs in December 2021. Putin demanded that Ukraine never be admitted to NATO but the Biden Administration refused this demand. This caused the tensions between the two nations to escalate, coming to a fiery head when Putin recognized pro-Russian breakaway regions Donetsk and Luhansk as independent from Ukraine and sent troops to these regions on 21st February 2022.
3 days after Luhansk and Donetsk were recognized as independent, Putin commenced the invasion stating in a global address that he was launching what he called a “military operation”. In response to the attack, Zelenskyy declared Martial Law in Ukraine, preventing able-bodied men aged 18-60 from leaving the country and forcing them to fight in the battle against Russian forces.
Reports of bombing have been coming from the country’s two major cities Kyiv and Kharkiv, as well in the nation’s Donbas region. Many citizens have been instructed to make Molotov cocktails to throw at Russian military vehicles, street signs are also being moved to confuse the Russian military.
President Zelenskyy was offered a means of evacuation by current US president Joe Biden, however he declined, stating “I need ammunition, not a ride”.
Poland and Romania are currently taking on refugees fleeing the war with no documents required and Ireland has waived visa requirements for all Ukrainians wishing to enter the country, with other European Union member states allowing Ukrainians seeking refuge to live in their nations for at least three years without having to first seek asylum.
The UK Home Office has, however, come under scrutiny for not allowing Ukrainians to enter the UK unless they have a family member living here or apply for a visa that was only granted to spouses, unmarried partners of at least two years, parents and their children if one is under the age of 18 or adult relatives who are also carers. This however, has been relaxed and Home Secretary Priti Patel has said that the UK will be able to take on 100,000 Ukrainian refugees with family visas.
Many say that this is not enough and believe that the United Kingdom should waive visa requirements for all Ukrainians wishing to seek refuge.
President Zelenskyy has signed Ukraine’s official application to join the European Union, and European Commission president Ursula Von Der Leyen has since said that the bloc will in fact push on with approving Ukraine’s membership. The EU is committed to sending weapons to Ukraine, this will be the first time the EU has funded military support for a nation under attack.