The Ukraine Crisis: What it means for India?

International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume IX, Issue III, March 2022 | ISSN 2321–2705

The Ukraine Crisis: What it means for India?

Esha Banerji

Russia-Ukraine: The Historical Background

Ukraine, a descendant of Ancient Rus , a part of the Russian empire for centuries and later, the USSR, was the second-most powerful Soviet republic after Russia, and was crucial strategically, economically and culturally. Russian President, Vladimir Putin, noted that Russians and Ukrainians were one people – a single whole.
Following the disintegration of USSR in 1991, Ukraine gained independence and has worked towards shedding all its Russian legacy and forged close ties with the West whereas Russia has sought to keep it’s newly formed neighbor within its sphere of influence.
Tensions between the two countries escalated during the Euromaidan movement, a protest in the capital city of Ukraine, Kiev in November 2013 against Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to reject a deal for greater economic integration with the European Union.
Russian President Vladimir Putin cited the need to protect the rights of Russian citizens and Russian speakers in Crimea and southeast Ukraine and took control of Ukraine’s Crimean region in March 2014, which was followed by a formal annexation after a disputed local referendum voted to join the Russian Federation. Since 2015, France, Germany, Russia, and Ukraine have attempted termination of violence through the Minsk Accords and while it has helped end large-scale conflicts, scuffles have continued with repeated news of ceasefire violations.
NATO, over the years, has remarkably advanced and expanded its foothold in Eastern Europe, an area Russia considers its sphere of influence. According to John J. Mearsheimer, United States and its European allies share most of the responsibility for the prevailing situation in the region. The root cause, according to him, is NATO enlargement, which is the central element of a larger strategy to move Ukraine out of Russia’s orbit and integrate it into the West . Much to Russia’s displeasure, NATO has deployed battalions in Eastern Europe, followed by sale of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine, and its participation in a series of large-scale air exercises in western Ukraine along with other NATO members and USA.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly held Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO as a ‘red line’, and expressed apprehension about plans of setting up military training centres in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that Moscow has the right to choose ways to ensure its legitimate security interests if the US and its NATO allies do not change course in Ukraine.
Current Developments
In the beginning of 2021, Russia began building up troops near Ukraine in response to what it described as threats from NATO as Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, reiterated that NATO membership was a strategic national goal of Kyiv .
Analysts observe that Russia’s military buildup is larger than before and there are fears of escalation of war in eastern Ukraine and a possible full-scale invasion in the near future.
In late 2021, satellite pictures revealed Russian arms — including self-propelled guns, battle tanks and infantry fighting vehicles – being positioned at a training ground merely 300 km from the Ukraine border.

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