Russian Military Intervention in Ukraine

Following the 2014 Ukrainian Revolution in late February, armed forces began to take over the Crimean Peninsula of Ukraine. The Crimean Peninsula is seen by Russia as its strategic link to the Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, and the Balkans as well as a land of historic cultural and religious significance. The Russian government maintains that its entering of Crimea militarily is to protect Russians in the region. Ukraine accused Russia of staging an “armed invasion” of Crimea on 28th February and appealed to the West to guarantee its territorial integrity after pro-Moscow gunmen took control of the peninsula’s main airport. Russia’s seizure of Crimea, which has a majority Russian population and Russian-speaking residents, has triggered the worst East-West Crisis since the Cold war.

The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Georgia, Moldova, Turkey, Australia and the EU condemned Russia, accusing it of breaking international law and violating Ukrainian sovereignty. China initially neither publicly supported nor criticised Russia while showing support for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and abstaining at the United Nations Security Council. However, she later stated that she “doesn’t want” Russia to be sanctioned. India considers that Russia has legitimate interests in Crimea.

 The Western world has threatened Russia with a number of sanctions but it does not seem that Russia is even slightly bothered. Not least this is because Russia has seen big American defence spending cuts and Obama’s extreme sensitivity to the war-weariness of American voters. It appears that Russia should have little reason to fear Western military intervention.