The Russo-Ukraine War has been going on since 2014. However, in February 2022, Russia intensified the conflict by invading Ukraine’s territory. Initially, the conflict started as a desperate effort by Russia to claim the Donbas and Crimea regions, in what Russians term as prioritizing the interests of thousands of Russians who live in the cities. Ukraine did not sit back to see Russians infringe on their territorial dignity. Therefore, the paper highlights the status of the Russo-Ukrainian War since it broke out until now.
When the war began and quickly culminated in an armed conflict, Russia denied its involvement and maintained its commitment to restoring peace. However, according to Johannesson & Clowes (2020), in 2022, Russian staged a military takeover of key Ukrainian cities by building a state-of-the-art military camp near the city of Donetsk. Russians had successfully annexed their first target region, Crimea. On the other hand, the Ukrainians, led by their president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, staged anti-Russia protests in the various border cities in Ukraine. Similarly, there were protests in the capital Kyiv.
The Russians changed tactics and approaches in fighting the Ukrainians and quickly resorted to cyberattacks on websites for banks, government departments, and ministries. Since February 24, 2022, when the Russians embarked on a full-force military invasion of Ukraine, about 5000 civilians and armed personnel have lost their lives, and another 7 million people have been displaced by the skirmishes (Mbah & Wasum, 2022). Consequently, many Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries such as Poland and Romania. The international community has termed Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as unjustifiable and called for peaceful ways of conflict resolution.
Conclusion
The Russia-Ukraine War is waging on, and sanctions on Russia could not help qualm the conflict. People are increasingly losing lives, both soldiers and civilians, while others are fleeing their countries to seek refuge elsewhere. The war has also affected businesses and livelihoods in other parts of the world, especially in developing countries. The war presents a massive blow to humanity as children and women suffer torture and rape at the hands of ruthless Russian troops. Therefore, there is a dire need for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
References List
Johannesson, J., & Clowes, D. (2022). Energy Resources and Markets-Perspectives on the Russian-Ukraine War. European Review, 30(1), 4-23.
Mbah, R. E., & Wasum, D. F. (2022). Russian-Ukraine 2022 War: A Review of the Economic Impact of Russian-Ukraine Crisis on the USA, UK, Canada, and Europe. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 9(3), 144-153.