Why are Russia and Ukraine Fighting and what Putin wants?

Why are Russia and Ukraine Fighting and what Putin wants?

The Russian-Ukrainian War is an ongoing war involving mainly Russia, Belarus, and Russian-backed troops on the one hand, and Ukraine on the other. The conflict began in February 2014 after the Dawn Revolution and focused on the situation in Crimea and parts of the Donbas, which are internationally recognized as part of Ukraine. The controversy included the Russian occupation of Crimea (2014), the Donbas War (2014-present), maritime events, cyberwarfare, and political tensions. Russia provided military support for separatists in the Donbas but tried to hide its involvement. Following the formation of Russian troops near the Ukrainian border in 2021,  Russia launched a massive Ukrainian invasion on February 24, 2022.

Following the Euromaidan protests and the subsequent ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych on February 22, 2014, and in the midst of the unrest in Russia in Ukraine, unmarked Russian troops seized control of positions and infrastructure in the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. On March 1, 2014, the Federation Council of Russian Federation unanimously adopted a resolution calling on Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy troops in Ukraine. The decision was adopted a few days later, following the start of the Russian military operation in the "Returning of Crimea". Russia then seized Crimea after a highly-criticized regional referendum organized by Russia following the capture of the Crimean Parliament, with the result that the Autonomous Republic of Crimea joined the Russian Federation. In April, protests by Russian-backed groups in the Donbas region of Ukraine escalated into a war between the Ukrainian government and various Russian-backed forces calling themselves Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. In August, Russian military vehicles crossed the border into several parts of the Donetsk Oblast. Russian military attacks were identified as the cause of the Ukrainian military defeat in early September.

What does Putin want?

In fact, the war over Ukraine is a war of influence and power. The Ukrainian government, now under President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has turned to the West in recent years, wishing to join the EU and NATO and move away from its post-Soviet path.

Putin, on the other hand, has condemned the disintegration of the Soviet Union as a catastrophe, and despite his 22-year rule in Russia he wanted to rebuild the base of Russia's power and influence in former Soviet republics, such as Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine - something of value in the USSR crown, and the natural state of the buffer against Europe. Putin has been praising the historic unity of Russia and Ukraine and again on Monday when he ordered troops to enter Donbas.

Ukraine's drift to the West is fueling Moscow because it does not want to see NATO, or EU, expand east to join Ukraine, although there is no hope that Ukraine will become a member of anybody.

Why did the Russian army attack?

Russian troops have approached the Ukrainian capital, days after a Russian leader ordered a full-blown north, east, and south strike. In a televised pre-dawn speech on the 24th of February, he announced that Russia could not feel "safe, developed and existent" due to what he called an ongoing threat from modern Ukraine.

Airports and military bases were first hit and then tanks and soldiers overturned in Ukraine from Russia, Crimea linked with Russia and Belarus combined.

Many of President Putin's arguments were false or baseless. He said his aim was to protect the victims of genocide and genocide and aimed to "destroy and abolish the Nazis" of Ukraine. There has been no massacre in Ukraine: it is a strong democracy, led by a Jewish president.

President Putin has repeatedly accused Ukraine of being a dictator since Russia's pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych was ousted in 2014 after months of protests against his rule.Russia then retaliated by taking control of the southern province of Crimea and causing a revolt in the east, supporting separatists who had fought with Ukrainian troops in a previous war with 14,000 lives.

Toward the end of 2021, Russia began deploying large numbers of troops near the Ukrainian border, while repeatedly denying any resistance. Mr. Putin then abolished the 2015 eastern peace agreement and recognized areas under the rebel regime as an independent.

Russia has long opposed Ukraine's move to the European Union and the Western military alliance, Nato. Announcing the Russian invasion, he accused Nato of threatening "our historic future as a nation".

What does Nato say?

Nato is a defense alliance with a policy of opening an open door for new members, and its 30 member states are adamant that they will not change.

The Ukrainian president wants a clear timeline, but there is no hope that Ukraine will join in the long run, as the German chancellor has made it clear. The idea that any current Nato state could relinquish its membership does not start.

Is there a diplomatic exit?

It seems very unlikely at the moment, even if some kind of talk is planned. Russia insists Kyiv is laying down its arms and demilitarises, and that will not happen. Without war, any agreement would ultimately have to include the situation in eastern Ukraine and arms control with the West.