As Russia threatens to invade Ukraine, Ukrainians wonder about the worth of a 1994 agreement signed by Russia, the US and the UK, who promised to protect the newly independent state’s sovereignty.
Russian soldiers take part in military drills in the Rostov region of Russia, near Ukraine’s border, on Dec. 10, 2021.
Associated Press
Russia appears inching closer to invading Ukraine, despite warnings from the US and other Western powers. Here are a few key ideas to help better understand what led to this looming crisis.
Resistance: a Ukrainian reservist during a military exercise at a training ground near Kiev.
EPA-EFE/Sergey Dolzhenko
Given the disconnect between Russia and the US and its NATO allies, it is puzzling why the talks happened at all, and what might possibly be gained from them.
A Russian military photo shows Russian soldiers arriving in Kazakhstan on Jan. 7, 2022.
Russian Defence Ministry\TASS via Getty Images
Negotiations between Western democracies and Russia over the fate of Ukraine took place against a backdrop of Russia troops entering Kazakhstan. It’s a reminder that Russia is willing to play tough.
Vladimir Putin at a concert in March 2021 marking the seventh anniversary of its annexation of Crimea.
Mikhail Svetlov/Getty Image
As Ukraine wrestles with the latest threat from its larger neighbor, two scholars explain how the independent country is often viewed as part of a greater Russia – and why that inflames tensions.
Russian President Vladimir Putin meets with U.S. President Joe Biden via videoconference on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021.
Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP
The Biden administration has threatened severe sanctions if Russia were to invade Ukraine. An economic sanctions scholar explains why they probably won’t be effective.
What’s on the table during Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s Washington visit?
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to seek commitments from his US counterpart, pledging support in his country’s ongoing battle with the Russian Federation.
HMS Defender: 21st-century British sea power.
Kevin Shipp via Shutterstock
Nothing suggests that HMS Defender’s passage was anything but continuous and expeditious. But the UK should avoid relying on Ukrainian “permission” as a justification.
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin meeting in 2011, during the Obama presidency.
Maxim Shipenkov/EPA-EFE
The Biden-Putin summit will be symbolic, rather than substantive - but there could be grounds for cautious optimism.
Combat ready? Colonel General Oleg Salyukov, the head of Russian Ground Forces reviews troops ahead of the 76th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II.
Stanislav Krasilnikov/TASS/Alamy Live News
Tensions are high, but a Russian invasion is highly unlikely.
Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin meeting in 2001: the Russian president finally congratulated the US president-elect on his election victory on December 15.
EPA-EFE/Maxim Shipenkov
Calls to keep talking are getting louder out of fear of escalation and ultimately war – but why are diplomatic relations so difficult for Nato and Russia?
Multiple American presidents have viewed US support of Ukraine’s security and democracy as critical to the national interest. President Trump’s dealings with Ukraine are a major divergence.
President Donald Trump meets with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sept. 25, 2019, in New York.
AP/Evan Vucci
The fallout for President Trump from his conversation with Ukrainian President Zelenskiy was swift and harsh. The consequences for Zelenskiy and his country could also be serious.
An opposition activist holds the Russian Constitution during a protest in Moscow, Aug. 17, 2019 against the exclusion of some candidates from Moscow’s upcoming election.
AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko
The Moscow elections of September 2019 were a referendum on President Vladimir Putin’s ruling party. And the opposition’s success suggests a looming political crisis for Putin and his regime.
‘Games without frontiers, war without tears …’
Kirillir_makarov
Five years after Crimea returned to Russia, the east-west stalemate over Ukraine is far from stable.
The outrage over Trump’s comments at the joint press conference meant an opportunity for meaningful debate about policy was lost.
AAP/EPA/Anatoly Maltsev
The extensive media coverage of the Helsinki meeting was almost universally critical of Trump, which overshadowed the chance to ask more meaningful questions about how the world deals with Russia.
Associate Professor of Instruction in the School of Interdisciplinary Global Studies, Affiliate Professor at the Institute for Russian, European, and Eurasian Studies, University of South Florida