RUSSIAN TROOPS ON UKRAINE BORDER

RUSSIAN TROOPS ON UKRAINE BORDER

Context:

According to the news published in the Indian Express on 7 Dec 2021, a tense situation on the Russia-Ukraine border represents a major regional security crisis.

Key Highlight:

• Ukraine says Russia has deployed about 90,000 troops across the border, and US intelligence reports say a Russian invasion of Ukraine is likely early next month.

Background:

• By 2014 Russia has shown that it is not opposed to taking military action in Ukraine.
• That same year, Russia annexed Crimea to Ukraine. It was the first time a European country annexed territory from another country since World War II.

Ukraine-Russia Relations:

• For centuries, Ukraine and Russia have shared cultural, linguistic, and family links. As part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was the second most powerful Soviet republic after Russia, and it was strategically, economically, and culturally important.
• Since Ukraine's split with the Soviet Union, both Russia and the West have been fighting for more significant influence to maintain regional power in their favor.
• For the United States and the European Union, Ukraine is a vital link between Russia and the West.

Ukraine:

• It is the second-largest country (by area) in Europe after Russia.

Russia:

• It is a country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia.