All over the world, Ukraine and Russia are currently blaring headlines across media platforms. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia has shaken the world to its core and is causing mass panic.
But one may ask, what is the whole story behind the Russia and Ukraine feud?
Ukraine was a part of the Russian Empire, and later the Soviet Union, all while protesting the communist rule and expressing their desire to be their own country. After seventy years of protesting, they finally got their wish and became independent.
Ukraine was declared an independent country in 1991, but Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that it still belongs to Russia because it “was created by Russia.” Ever since Ukraine became independent, their relationship with Russia has been extremely tense.
On February 24, Russia invaded Ukraine. This came as a shock to many, because they thought that Putin's threats were mostly empty. While the invasion was commencing, Putin declared war on Ukraine over national television.
Biden has consistently said that America will not get involved with the war, in fear of beginning a direct conflict and getting bombed by the arsenal of Russia's nuclear weapons.
However, that does not mean that the war between Russia and Ukraine is not impacting America. Gas prices have gone up significantly, as America cut economic ties with Russia. Russia was one of the main contributors of gas in the U.S.
Back in Ukraine, ordinary citizens are fighting back against Russian troops. They store Molotov cocktails made out of rags and empty beer bottles in hand-dug trenches on the side of the road.
In other countries, people are doing as much as they can to protest the outbreak in war. Countries like Germany, the U.S., Britain, and even Russian citizens are protesting the actions of the Russian government.
At the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Putin was targeting urban areas, but he is now aiming sporadically for more civilian areas. Recently, he even attacked a maternity hospital.
The war continues to rage on, with no end in the foreseeable future. Although Americans can’t do much directly to aid Ukraine, there are still ways you can help. If you are interested in helping Ukraine, take a look at this website: 27 Meaningful Ways You Can Help Ukraine (globalcitizen.org)
