Ukraine Crisis : Who is responsible?

Part I : What Russians claim!

The eyes of the whole world are on the military conflict taking place in the Eastern Europe at this time. If we look at this tragedy in a larger perspective, then it seems that it is a military conflict between two countries due to their preference for their respective interests, but if we try to analyse it in a micro reality, this was an avoidable human tragedy.

To understand how this conflict is produced, under what circumstances and whose interests it might serve, we must know that historically Ukraine was part of various European dynasties and regimes, but to understand the present scenario we must know that in WWI, territory of present Ukraine was dominated by Poland, Czechoslovakia, Romania and Russia and after WWI they joined the U.S.S.R. as Ukrainian S.S.R. formerly known as Soviet Ukraine.

But Ukraine as a fully independent country emerged only after the dissolution of U.S.S.R. by popular approval in a plebiscite and they changed their name from Ukrainian S.S.R. to Ukraine. From here onwards the relations between Russia and Ukraine have been defined by various ties, treaties, conflicts and confrontations.

In 2014, Ukraine's elected President Viktor Yanukovych refused to sign the political association and free trade agreement with the European Union. Because this proposal had majority support in the Ukrainian parliament, it led to the Revolution of Dignity, followed by the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. And this is the time when the present tension between Ukraine and Russia started.

Ukraine's post revolutionary government took a clear stand that they will ensure strong relations with the European Union and NATO rather than balancing their economic and security interests between NATO, European Union and Russia. After the annexation of Crimea, Ukraine has intensified efforts for NATO and EU membership.

Russian President Vladimir PutinIt is said that Russia is being continuously mocked in the world by the USA, NATO, and the West after the demolition of U.S.S.R. and they are not even considered a superpower anymore with the emergence of China.

We can understand this by Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent address to his nation saying that,

"It is a fact that over the past 30 years we have been patiently trying to come to an agreement with the leading NATO countries regarding the principles of equal and indivisible security in Europe. In response to our proposals, we invariably faced either cynical deception and lies or attempts at pressure and blackmail, while the North Atlantic alliance continued to expand despite our protests and concerns."

According to Russia they have few genuine demands that Ukraine must not join NATO military alliance and be as neutral as possible. They claim that Ukrainian entry into NATO will be a direct security threat to Russia.

Putin has always said that the expansion of NATO in the eastern Europe near its borders is a plot to destroy Russia. And after 2014, military aid provided to Ukraine by the NATO countries has always strengthened his claim. And the recent news that Ukraine has started working towards becoming a nuclear power, ignited the prolonged tension between Russia and Ukraine.

Russian armed forces were on the border of the Ukraine for months, they believe that they tried their best to resolve the issue on the table but Ukraine's attitude and preconditions towards Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk were not that encouraging.

We can also get this hint by Putin in his recent statement,

"If we look at the sequence of events and the incoming reports, the showdown between Russia and these forces cannot be avoided. It is only a matter of time. They are getting ready and waiting for the right moment. Moreover, they went as far as to aspire to acquire nuclear weapons.

They did not leave us any other option for defending Russia and our people, other than the one we are forced to use today. In these circumstances, we have to take bold and immediate action."

Experts believes that Russia as a nation and as a super power had no other option to prove a point in the world that they are not merely a nation with a large army, but they have that old ability to change the map of the world. They had to defend their interests and they had to react.

Russians also believe that if this had not happened on the soil of Ukraine, then in the next few years it would have happened on the soil of Russia and this thing is absolutely unacceptable to them.

We also know that being a much bigger military power, with sufficient experience and well known capabilities, Russia can actually occupy or they say "demilitarize Ukraine" but Russians claim that they started this military operation to demilitarize Ukraine and they are very clear about this as we have seen them advising International media to do not use words like war, attack, occupy, invasion, and genocide.

Now we can question the way they answered, the way they are reacting and the way they are now taking control of every city of Ukraine one by one. We must question the necessity of this action, and we also must not undermine the question about those thousands of lives that are being sacrificed because of that bigger picture whom they are never been a part.

Some may say Russia has its point and some may oppose them, some may say that Russians concerns are obvious but the way they react is not idle. But we can never understand the reality and can not conclude without knowing both the part of the story.