Kimmi Ligh | Contributing Writer
On the tail of the Olympics, Russian President Vladimir Putin told the world that he has the right to invade Ukraine. On Saturday, the parliament authorized his use of military force on the Ukraine, and on Sunday, unmarked Russian troops took the peninsula of Crimea. Russia had a naval base there, and Crimea was taken without bloodshed.
However, there are protests throughout the Ukraine and in Kharkiv in which pro-Russian activists broke into the government building with axe handles and chains and injured the supports of the Ukraine government.
Only a week ago on February 22nd, Ukraine’s pro-Russian president Viktor F. Yanukovych was impeached by his parliament amid the Euromaidan revolts in Ukraine. They set a presidential election for May 25th, but Yanukovych refused to resign, though he had already left to flee for Russia the day before. The pro-Western Arseniy Yatsenyuk was made Prime Minister after Yanukovych’s removal, and he has said that Putin’s declaration of his rights is actually a declaration of war.
Most of the people in Crimea are ethnically Russian, and Putin claims that he needs to protect the Russian citizens in Ukraine in light of Yanukovych’s removal. Though the Crimean troops and the entire Crimean army isn’t powerful enough to stop the Russians, some the Ukrainian soldiers in Crimea have refused to disarm. The attention of the Russians is now reportedly directed towards eastern Ukraine, where most Ukrainians speak Russian as their first language.
Although John Kerry, the U.S. Secretary of State, said that Russia’s move was an “incredible act of aggression,” the U.S. is currently only threatening to cut off economic relations with Russia. Yatsenyuk says that they are not threatening Russian speakers in their country, and they have asked NATO, Britain, and the United States to help. Hesitant to start another world military conflict, NATO has done nothing but urge Russia and the Ukraine to solve their problems peacefully.
“What Russia is doing now in Ukraine violates the principles of the United Nations Charter. It threatens peace and security in Europe. Russia must stop its military activities and its threats,” said NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen. “We support Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. We support the right of the people of Ukraine to determine their own future without outside interference. And we emphasize the need for Ukraine to continue to uphold the democratic rights of all people and ensure that minority rights are protected…We urge all parties to urgently continue all efforts to move away from this dangerous situation. In particular, I call on Russia to de-escalate tensions.”
U.S. President Barack Obama has decided to pull out of the June G8 Summit, and Kerry claims to have spoken to many foreign ministers who plan to do the same in addition to isolating the Russian economy. But, so far, nothing has been done to stop Russia or provide support to the Ukraine. World leaders are hoping for a peaceful resolution, but it remains to be seen whether they can persuade Russia to pull back.