The Russia-Ukraine War and Its Multifold Implications (original) (raw)

The tension on the Russia-Ukraine border represents a major security crisis for the region, with the potential to snowball into a broader conflict. Ukraine and Russia share hundreds of years of cultural, linguistic, and familial links. For many in Russia and in the ethnically Russian parts of Ukraine, the shared heritage of the countries is an emotional issue that has been exploited for electoral and military purposes. As part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine was the second most powerful Soviet republic after Russia and was crucial strategically, economically, and culturally. The Russo-Ukrainian war is an ongoing conflict between Russia (together with pro-Russian rebel groups) and Ukraine. It began in February 2014, following Ukraine's Dignity Revolution, and was initially focused on international recognition of Crimea and parts of the Donbas as part of Ukraine [1]. Russia is keeping the tensions high at the Ukraine border in order to get sanctions relief and other concessions from the West.