EXPLAINER: Why exactly is Putin invading Ukraine?

On Thursday, the world was roused to the shocking reverberation of bombs dropping on cities in Ukraine as Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, finally sounded the long-touted invasion of the country. At least 137 people are said to have died as Russian bombs continue to cascade down the sky of Kyiv, Dnipro and other cities in Ukraine.

After months of heightened tension which saw Russia deploy over 100,000 troops to surround its ex-Soviet neighbour on three sides “like a sickle,” according to observers, Putin jacked forward the machinery of war, sending the world into jarring disbelief.

Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, condemned the invasion as a “blatant violation of international law”. Joe Biden, the US president, described it as “an unprovoked and unjustified attack” while Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, declared that the country and its allies “will respond decisively”.

A global showdown is brewing, and an adamant Putin has damned the rest of the world with his action, and it seems he will not leech the war dog any time soon.


As the situation between Russia and Ukraine deteriorates beyond diplomatic reconciliation and hits the shrapnels of a full-fledged war, we take a trip down memory lane to understand the origin of the conflict.

History of the tension

The tension between the neighbours has been bubbling for a while. The protracted conflict first brewed over in 2014 after the widespread Euromaidan protest in Ukraine forced the parliament to remove President Viktor Yanukovych from office. The removal of Yanukovych, who was regarded as pro-Russia, vexed the leadership in Moscow, and they thought the best way to strike back was to reclaim Ukraine’s region of Crimea, which used to be under Russia’s control from 1783 to 1954.

The Kremlin then kicked off operation ‘Returning Crimea’, and it engineered a series of pro-Russia protests across several areas in the city. The invasion of Crimea followed as the “little green men” — masked soldiers without insignia but with distinctly Russian weaponry and equipment — took to the city. Russia then launched a referendum in the city, and in the infamously skewed plebiscite, a staggering 97 percent of the population voted for the integration of Crimea into the Russian Federation.


The annexation of Crimea by Russia was a blow to Ukraine. But the onslaught had not reached an end for Ukraine as Russia began to secretly provide weaponry support for separatists in the country’s eastern region. This violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty helped the rebels claim control of the eastern city of Donbas with over 14,000 lives lost in the region.

To end the bloody crisis, an agreement was hammered out in Minsk, Belarus, in February 2015. The resolution tagged the ‘Minsk agreement’ was monitored by United Nations, and it proposed a cease-fire with all parties signing to power down their machinery of war.

Despite a ceasefire agreement, both parties have not been at peace, and the Russia-backed rebels have claimed further swathes of land in the east of Ukraine.

NATO and its eyes on Ukraine

After the collapse of the Iron Curtain and subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has never been subtle in its mission to bring into its fold the majority of countries that used to be in the eastern bloc. NATO won over Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 2004.

However, NATO has always had its eyes on Ukraine, a pursuit that has provoked Russia deeply over the years.

With the persistent Russian invasion and support for rebels, Ukraine finally tilted toward the Atlantic bloc. In 2019, the constitution of Ukraine was amended with the addition of parts indicating the country’s imminent membership of NATO and the European Union (EU).

For Russia, the move was a red line in the sand as it sees Ukraine’s romance with NATO as a bombardment by its Western enemies across numerous sides. And when the topic was raised again at the 2021 Brussel Summit, Russia intensified its move to bring Ukraine to its knees before it walked into the arms of NATO.

Putin said Kremlin will not allow “any further NATO moves eastward and the deployment of weapons systems that threaten us in close vicinity to Russian territory”.

He insisted that Russians and Ukrainians “were one people – a single whole,” adding that the crisis is the “result of deliberate efforts by those forces that have always sought to undermine our unity”.

In December 2021, Putin warned NATO that deploying weapons or soldiers into Ukraine would cross a “red line” for Russia and trigger a strong response from the Kremlin.

The tension boiled over with the new year, and it erupted into a war on Thursday, February 24, 2022.

What does Putin want from Ukraine?

Putin has described the West’s mission with Ukraine as “the overarching goal being to divide and then to pit the parts of a single people against one another”.

He added that “step by step, Ukraine was dragged into a dangerous geopolitical game aimed at turning Ukraine into a barrier between Europe and Russia, a springboard against Russia”.

In his bid to bring Ukraine back under Russia’s influence, he openly backed and recognised the government of rebels in the eastern part of the country and quickly sent in troops for “peacekeeping” in the region.

He wants to stop Ukraine from being, in his own words, “a puppet” of the West.

What can the West do?

The leaders of the West have been airing their condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine since it began. But, at the moment, NATO countries haven’t unfurled plans to send combat troops in Ukraine’s defence.

Instead, they’ve offered the beleaguered country weapons and medical aids. But NATO already has about 5,000 troops in Poland with other troops across the Baltic territory ready to swing into action when called.

NATO has made it clear that it will deal with Russia; using economic and financial sanctions to strangulate it to back out of the invasion.

Source

https://www.thecable.ng/explainer-why-exactly-is-putin-invading-ukraine/amp

The question is what's his issue with Ukraine if not his selfish benefit..it's just like hurting and torturing your wife cos of her choice for the betterment of her life against you..

Putin wants the old Soviet glory nothing else..he has no right to invade a sovereign country for no logical reason..
Modified: Ukraine insisted willingly to join NATO and it has been for a while now..no one is forcing them.. understand that...

Very correct assessment.
The aggressors are the ones playing victims now..
NATO has to explain why it wants Russias immediate neighbor as a member.

Rugaria:
Very correct assessment.
The aggressors are the ones playing victims now..
NATO has to explain why it wants Russias immediate neighbor as a member.

My brother. It's obvious you digested the INFO above without prejudice.

Geo-political interest, Nuclear power supremacy and Individual national security are the issues here.

FERNANDEZISBACK:
The question is what's his issue with Ukraine if not his selfish benefit..it's just like hurting and torturing your wife cos of her choice for the betterment of her life against you..

Putin wants the old Soviet glory nothing else..he has no right to invade a sovereign country for no logical reason..

Putin has the right to defend his country. He is taking a very important proactive step to safeguard his country. if Chad decides to give ISIS or Boko Haram a base to deploy their troops and organize their attacks against Nigeria, Nigeria has the right to take every action to stop Chad. If Nigeria refuses to act, it's a sign of weakness and lack of foresight within the countrys leadership and not something to celebrate. That exactly is the thing Russia is doing. NATO was formed to tame the USSR. The USSR is dead, what's NATO still doing positioning herself within a striking distance to Russia? Ukraine got herself into this mess by deciding to join a military group that represents her neighbors worst enemies

Rugaria:


Putin has the right to defend his country. He is taking a very important proactive step to safeguard his country. if Chad decides to give ISIS or Boko Haram a base to deploy their troops and organize their attacks against Nigeria, Nigeria has the right to take every action to stop Chad. If Nigeria refuses to act, it's a sign of weakness and lack of foresight within the countrys leadership and not something to celebrate. That exactly is the thing Russia is doing. NATO was formed to term the USSR. The USSR is dead, what's NATO still doing positioning herself within a striking distance to Russia? Ukraine got herself into this mess by deciding to join a military group that represents her neighbors worse enemies

How is NATO a threat to him?
NATO is a defensive organisation that guarantees the integrity of member nations against attack through the medium of mutual support...

He is not defending his country he is invading a sovereign country.. understand that?
You can't defend your country by attacking another for no reason..just like torturing your wife for saying she wanna divorce you..
NATO is still necessary because it protects its members from the “confusion, instability, unpredictability” which are persistent conditions in international affairs. So NATO doesn’t need to be against any specific state or group to continue to have a very important job to do...To prevent any more annexed Crimea’s and Russian occupied Ukraine.
Russia intends to further expand her borders, NATO may deter WW3...
So you gotta understand that..

Rugaria:


Putin has the right to defend his country. He is taking a very important proactive step to safeguard his country. if Chad decides to give ISIS or Boko Haram a base to deploy their troops and organize their attacks against Nigeria, Nigeria has the right to take every action to stop Chad. If Nigeria refuses to act, it's a sign of weakness and lack of foresight within the countrys leadership and not something to celebrate. That exactly is the thing Russia is doing. NATO was formed to term the USSR. The USSR is dead, what's NATO still doing positioning herself within a striking distance to Russia? Ukraine got herself into this mess by deciding to join a military group that represents her neighbors worse enemies

Honestly I would sincerely have wished you ignored this person you responded to.

It's one thing to be Ignorant.
It's another thing to be Naive.

But to be both is very unacceptable in these dangerous times.

BusterG:


Honestly I would sincerely have wished you ignored this person you responded to.

We are having a mature debate no insult..he had something to say so what's your issue with that..
You are either contributing something sensible or just slide off without acting like a petty kid..

FERNANDEZISBACK:

How is NATO a threat to him?
NATO is a defensive organisation that guarantees the integrity of member nations against attack through the medium of mutual support...

He is not defending his country he is invading a sovereign country.. understand that?
You can't defend your country by attacking another for no reason..just like torturing your wife for saying she wanna divorce you..
NATO is still necessary because it protects its members from the “confusion, instability, unpredictability” which are persistent conditions in international affairs. So NATO doesn’t need to be against any specific state or group to continue to have a very important job to do...To prevent any more annexed Crimea’s and Russian occupied Ukraine.
Russia intends to further expand her borders, NATO may deter WW3...
So you gotta understand that..

For no reason?
The problem here is that you are giving NATO and the West a free pass. In your mind, they're infallible. You really think the West never saw this crises coming? This crises have been brewing for over a decade. The West knows what they're doing. Russia knows what they are doing too. Russia understands Western manipulations and scheming and are basically trying to upstage them.

You have to understand how NATO works. Once you're a member of NATO, if you're attacked, all members of NATO have a duty to join hands to defend you. It means that the attackers will be facing the military arsenal of the whole of western Europe and others that are members of NATO. NATO is the biggest fighting block as at today and represents the biggest military danger to countries like Russia and China...

So what happens if Ukraine joins NATO and a president of Ukraine starts a sort of war with Russia? NATO will have to do something to defend Ukraine. That means that all of a sudden, Russia will have to fight The USA, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain , Portugal etc. These are some of the most sophisticated militaries in the world. You're going to face them over a minor squabble with your neighbor? Right at your borders! Especially a neighbor that has ethnic Russians as her citizens too?

This is very simple. I don't know why it looks so confusing to some. Russia is trying to get Ukraine within her sphere of influence. That's what you do when you're a super power. The Americans do it, the USSR did it, China is trying to do it. If you leave your flanks open, your competitors will enter an dismantle you. If you doubt this, try to make Mexico a strategic ally of Russia or China, .. The Americans will react even more ferociously than Russia is doing today to that. During the Venezuelan crises, The US did whatever it could to make sure that Russia never had a military post in Venezuela. Yet Venezuela has no border crossings with The United States. How much more a country with land borders with the US..

Rugaria:


For no reason?
The problem here is that you are giving NATO and the West a free pass. In your mind, they're infallible. You really think the West never saw this crises coming? This crises have been brewing for over a decade. The West knows what they're doing. Russia knows what they are doing too. Russia understands Western manipulations and scheming and are basically trying to upstage them.

You have to understand how NATO works. Once you're a member of NATO, if you're attacked, all members of NATO have a duty to join hands to defend you. It means that the attackers will be facing the military arsenal of the whole of western Europe and others that are members of NATO. NATO is the biggest fighting block as at today and represents the biggest military danger to countries like Russia and China...

So what happens if Ukraine joins NATO and a president of Ukraine starts a sort of war with Russia? NATO will have to do something to defend Ukraine. That means that all of a sudden, Russia will have to fight The USA, France, Britain, Germany, Italy, Spain , Portugal etc. These are some of the most sophisticated militaries in the world. You're going to face them over a minor squabble with your neighbor? Right at your borders! Especially a neighbor that has ethnic Russians as her citizens too?

This is very simple. I don't know why it looks so confusing to some. Russia is trying to get Ukraine within her sphere of influence. That's what you do when you're a super power. The Americans do it, the USSR did it, China is trying to do it. If you leave your flanks open, your competitors will enter an dismantle you. If you doubt this, try to make Mexico a strategic ally of Russia or China, .. The Americans will react even more ferociously than Russia is doing today to that. During the Venezuelan crises, The US did whatever it could to make sure that Russia never had a military post in Venezuela. Yet Venezuela has no border crossings with The United States. How much more a country with land borders with the US..

Ooh so attacking them is a way forward?
Why will Ukraine sort a war with Russia for no reason? isn't that d**mb?

You can't tell a sovereign country what to do and how to run their country..did they launch any offensive against Russia?no
If you or Putin ain't scared and doesn't have any ulterior motive why forcing Ukraine to lick your boots?

No point here just some bully..I can't imagine Egypt or Algeria invading your country cos you decide to do something for the betterment of your country.. NATO did not launch any offensive against Russia did they?
Ukraine is being bullied and needeed help?how would you feel if your senior bro keep hurting you so as to force you to do what he wants? won't you look for a solution? or you will keep smiling and enduring huh?
So what exactly is your point?

Ukrainians shouldn't have also voted for a comedian as a president. Zelensky might have been taking all the Russia's threats as jokes.

If not that Zelensky is unserious fellow, how did he allow USA and NATO to Bobo him when they are not going to send their troops to defend aggressive Russia.

Ukraine have been left alone while Russia already surrounded them

The Russian military is now less than 20 miles from Kiev the Ukrainian capital as we speak. That is less than 24 hours of fighting! If Ukraine knows they're this miserably hopeless, why didn't they do enough to stave off the invasion? There was no way The United States or NATO would have intervened to fight against a nuclear armed Russia. So what's the point putting your country through this mess? The West continues using these countries as cannon fodders in their senseless proxxy wars with Russia and China.

FERNANDEZISBACK:

How is NATO a threat to him?
NATO is a defensive organisation that guarantees the integrity of member nations against attack through the medium of mutual support...

He is not defending his country he is invading a sovereign country.. understand that?
You can't defend your country by attacking another for no reason..just like torturing your wife for saying she wanna divorce you..
NATO is still necessary because it protects its members from the “confusion, instability, unpredictability” which are persistent conditions in international affairs. So NATO doesn’t need to be against any specific state or group to continue to have a very important job to do...To prevent any more annexed Crimea’s and Russian occupied Ukraine.
Russia intends to further expand her borders, NATO may deter WW3...
So you gotta understand that..

After insulting me in my post, someone else has brought up same point more clearly and you are now here trying to hard to oppose everybody that does not flow with your point.
The thing is that you still have refused to get the main point.

DaddyFabooluz:


After insulting me in my post, someone else has brought up same point more clearly and you are now here trying to hard to oppose everybody that does not flow with your point.
The thing is that you still have refused to get the main point.

If you ain't proving me wrong pls slide off..I need concrete talk not regular bluffing..why did you not reply me on your thread huh?
You ran out of points?or you are simply ignorant..?

I just pity Ukrainians. Seriously all these superpowers are useless. They only use their power for selfish gains

FERNANDEZISBACK:

If you ain't proving me wrong pls slide off..I need concrete talk not regular bluffing..why did you not reply me on your thread huh?
You ran out of points?or you are simply ignorant..?

I didn't respond to you because I don't usually argue with........ (Fill the gap yourself if you are smart).

DaddyFabooluz:


I didn't respond to you because I don't usually argue with........ (Fill the gap yourself if you are smart).

Ok then pls can you stop quoting me then?
I will really appreciate that..

Putin simply has an expansionist agenda & would not stop until he reestablishes the Soviet Union.

NATO is a defence pact, not an aggressive one & if Russia doesn't want Ukraine joining NATO, it can do so by other means including political & economic sanctions rather than a full scale war.

Also, since the balkanisation of the SU, Russia has always threatened Ukraine, hence, Ukraine's intention to join NATO. The US & its NATO allies have never pushed Ukraine to join NATO. Putin is just power mad.

Further more, the silence of China is telling... it is watching closely. If Russia succeeds in getting Ukraine without much resistance from the West, China is going to take Taiwan & Tibet too...

The domino effect is that North Korea will invade South Korea, Pakistan will invade the disputed Kahmir region with India. Some Arab nations will attack Israel. Other smaller conflicts designed to grab more land will ensue...

That said, powers (empires) rise & fall. China seems to be the one to replace the declining dominance of the US & Russia is aware of this. But the question I always ask those who insult US is this, would you prefer to stay in an autocratic China or a democratic US?

ivandragon:
Putin simply has an expansionist agenda & would not stop until he reestablishes the Soviet Union.

NATO is a defence pact, not an aggressive one & if Russia doesn't want Ukraine joining NATO, it can do so by other means including political & economic sanctions rather than a full scale war.

Also, since the balkanisation of the SU, Russia has always threatened Ukraine, hence, Ukraine's intention to join NATO. The US & its NATO allies have never pushed Ukraine to join NATO. Putin is just power mad.

Further more, the silence of China is telling... it is watching closely. If Russia succeeds in getting Ukraine without much resistance from the West, China is going to take Taiwan & Tibet too...

The domino effect is that North Korea will invade South Korea, Pakistan will invade the disputed Kahmir region with India. Some Arab nations will attack Israel. Other smaller conflicts designed to grab more land will ensue...

Aptly put you are smart..but those puppet won't understand this since they don't bother to read and check issues properly..
Thanks for summarising everything..

FERNANDEZISBACK:

Aptly put you are smart..but those puppet won't understand this since they don't bother to read and check issues properly..
Thanks for summarising everything..

There is no smartness in what you two are saying. It shows you know nothing about this. You both should try read and check issues well instead.

ivandragon:
Putin simply has an expansionist agenda & would not stop until he reestablishes the Soviet Union.

NATO is a defence pact, not an aggressive one & if Russia doesn't want Ukraine joining NATO, it can do so by other means including political & economic sanctions rather than a full scale war.

Also, since the balkanisation of the SU, Russia has always threatened Ukraine, hence, Ukraine's intention to join NATO. The US & its NATO allies have never pushed Ukraine to join NATO. Putin is just power mad.

Further more, the silence of China is telling... it is watching closely. If Russia succeeds in getting Ukraine without much resistance from the West, China is going to take Taiwan & Tibet too...

The domino effect is that North Korea will invade South Korea, Pakistan will invade the disputed Kahmir region with India. Some Arab nations will attack Israel. Other smaller conflicts designed to grab more land will ensue...

That said, powers (empires) rise & fall. China seems to be the one to replace the declining dominance of the US & Russia is aware of this. But the question I always ask those who insult US is this, would you prefer to stay in an autocratic China or a democratic US?

Taiwan has always been Chinese.. Don't let Western propaganda fool you. Taiwan is not Ukraine. Taiwan is Chinese and Ukraine is not Russian. Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao reminds China of the enermous levels the west had to go in order to undermine her when she was weak and poor. China has got a good case to demand the return of Taiwan. The British are still in Falklands and The French controls West Africa and polenesia, yet they're the ones condemning Russia.

Democratic West? Is there anything democratic about the current world order? You live in Africa that has been more or else designated a mininig field, a continent being rapaciously raped by Western multinationals and agencies and you're talking of a democratic world order? What is democratic about Nigerias politics today as is supported by the West? I think most Africans suffer the political equivalent of the Stockholm syndrome in their rabid obeisance to western dictates..

Rugaria:
Very correct assessment.
The aggressors are the ones playing victims now..
NATO has to explain why it wants Russias immediate neighbor as a member.

it's a miopic assessment from U.N's view putting Putin as the bad guy

Hmm

cdqyehyeh:

There is no smartness in what you two are saying. It shows you know nothing about this. You both should try read and check issues well instead.

You should boy.. instead of blabbing why not prove us wrong..

US democrats are the reason. They run Ukraine with their secret soldiers there and Putin isn't having it especially when the western world is pushing NATO to admit Ukraine.

Putin doesn't want the old Soviet back as some people believe, most of them are poor and a drain on Russia.

Rugaria:
The Russian military is now less than 20 miles from Kiev the Ukrainian capital as we speak. That is less than 24 hours of fighting! If Ukraine knows they're this miserably hopeless, why didn't they do enough to stave off the invasion? There was no way The United States or NATO would have intervened to fight against a nuclear armed Russia. So what's the point putting your country through this mess? The West continues using these countries as cannon fodders in their senseless proxxy wars with Russia and China.

You are so ignorant with much confidence. Are you telling us, if Ukraine had been a NATO member, they wouldn't have defended them because Russia was Nuclear armed? If thats the case, about 3 NATO countries border Russia from different axis, let Putin throw one missile or cross any of the borders, lets see whether he would come out in one piece.

So, because Ukraine is romancing with the west, that's why they're receiving this unwarranted terror from Putin?
This is bad. Putin was just too bored for his type...Hitler type.

Ok

Like someone said chishuchi people are watching

Putin is just a power-drunk ruler who wants to be controlling all her neighbouring former Soviet Union breakaway countries & would not tolerate any of them fraternising with NATO.
His long-term dream is to restore the former all-powerful Soviet Union, USSR back.