All over the news for the past week, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has been a devastating scene to watch. Currently, Russian troops are flooding through the Ukrainian border. Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin claims that Russia can not feel “safe” as a result of the Ukrainian push to join NATO and become more westernized. For those who are unaware of the term NATO that is being thrown around lately, NATO is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Created post-WWII to try and prevent future hostilities, NATO is a military defense alliance that includes 28 European countries and 2 North American countries, including the United States. One of the main points of NATO is that an attack on one is an attack on all. Putin has been very adamant about keeping Ukraine out of NATO. For a geographical reference, Ukraine and Russia share a border. As a result, there are many Russian-Ukrainian ties between the people in both countries. Putin does not want any western influence to disrupt his current dictatorship.

Rockets have been shot in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv with over 2 million civilians living in the city. Unlike past global conflicts that the newest generation read in textbooks, visuals are not provided. The difference currently is the influence of modernized technology and social media. Through cell phones, people across the globe have seen real time videos or rockets filling the skies and destroying the cities. Over social media Ukrainians have posted video of their bomb shelters inside of the subway stations. Citizens have been recording their current conditions with covered windows and packed bags, waiting for the bomb siren. 

In order to protect the country, all men ages 18-60 have been ordered to remain in Ukraine to protect their land. Families are being separated as the men stay and the woman and children attempt to flee. President of Ukraine Volodymr Zelenskyy has stayed present. He has not been hiding but rather leading his people and fighting alongside them. 

As for external involvement, the U.S has announced sanctions against the Russian Central Bank. Meaning business with Russia has been closed and assets have frozen. Additionally, the U.S and other Allies have taken some of the Russian banks off of the SWIFT financial messaging system. The hope is to put economic pressure onto Russia. The elite wealthy class of Russia will definitely feel the pressure from bank removals which is one of the hopes from these sanctions. The Biden Administration has made it very clear that the United States will not intervene militarily in Ukraine. The main reasoning being it could ignite another World War, the current conflict being regional. The current troops throughout Europe are not present to fight Russians, but to defend NATO allies, which is part of the defense alliance.

-Lilly G.