DNA Special: Reasons behind simmering tension between Russia and Ukraine

Today we will tell you about one of the biggest international news of this time and will take you straight to Ukraine, which is currently surrounded by 1.25 million Russian soldiers. 

At this time the situation there is so delicate that war can start at any time between the NATO countries and the Russian army. The dispute is that Ukraine wants to become a member country of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization i.e. NATO and Russia are opposing it. Because NATO is a Military Alliance between America and Western countries, therefore, Russia does not want its neighboring country to become a friend of NATO.

This whole dispute has given rise to the possibility of a new war, in which more than one country can take part. That's why today we will take you to the root of this whole controversy. 

At present, Russia has deployed 1,25,000 of its soldiers along the 450-km long international border with Ukraine. These soldiers have been deployed along the eastern and north-eastern border of Ukraine.

Apart from this, Russia has also deployed its warships in the Black Sea, which are equipped with dangerous missiles. In 2014, Russia had seized Crimea, an important port region in Ukraine and since then the conflict has never seized to exist.

Russia has also deployed drones on the border of Ukraine, which can destroy any military base in the blink of an eye. It is safe to say that at this time Russia has surrounded Ukraine from all sides.

This struggle has divided the world into two factions. On one side there is Russia, which has been supported by countries like China and on the other side is Ukraine, which is getting support from the US, UK, and other NATO countries. 

Now the question is why Russia does not want Ukraine to join NATO countries?

NATO is a military group consisting of 30 countries such as the US, Canada, Britain, and France. Now the challenge before Russia is that some of its neighboring countries have already joined NATO. Among them are countries like Estonia and Latvia, which were earlier part of the Soviet Union. Now if Ukraine also becomes a part of NATO, then Russia will be surrounded by its enemy countries from all sides and countries like America will dominate it. If Ukraine becomes a member of NATO and Russia attacks it in the future, then under the agreement all 30 countries of this group will consider it an attack against themselves and will also provide military assistance to Ukraine.

The hero of the Russian Revolution, Vladimir Lenin, once said that 'for Russia to lose Ukraine would be like having its head cut off from a body' and for this reason, Russia is opposing Ukraine's entry into NATO.

One more point is that Ukraine is located on the western border of Russia. When Russia was attacked during the Second World War, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, Ukraine was the only area from where Russia defended its border. However, now if Ukraine went with the NATO countries, Moscow, the capital of Russia, would be just 640 kilometers away to the West. Currently, this distance is about 1600 kilometers.

Now let us understand why does Ukraine want to join NATO?

To understand this you have to go back 100 years in history. Before the year 1917, Russia and Ukraine were part of the Russian Empire. But after the Russian Revolution in 1917, this empire disintegrated and Ukraine declared itself an independent country. However, Ukraine remained independent for hardly three years, and in 1920, it joined the Soviet Union. However, the desire of the people of Ukraine to become an independent nation was always alive.

When the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991, 15 new countries were formed, including Ukraine. That is, in real terms, Ukraine got independence in the year 1991. However, Ukraine understands from the beginning that it can never compete with Russia on its own and that is why it wants to join a military organisation that will ensure its independence under all circumstances, and therefore NATO is its best alternative.

We are saying this because Ukraine neither has a large army nor modern weapons like Russia. Ukraine has 1.1 million soldiers, while Russia has 2.9 million soldiers. Ukraine has 98 fighter planes, Russia has about 1500 fighter planes. Russia also has more attack helicopters, tanks, and armored vehicles than Ukraine.

You should also understand the role of the US in this whole story. The US has sent 3000 of its soldiers to help Ukraine and it has been assured from their side that they will do everything possible to help Ukraine. But the truth is that the current US President Joe Biden is only using Ukraine to strengthen his image. Last year the US had to withdraw its forces from Afghanistan. Apart from this, America could not achieve anything in Iran and despite all the sanctions, North Korea is also continuously conducting missile tests. These incidents have damaged America's image as a champion and that is why Joe Biden wants to make up for it with the Ukraine-Russia dispute.

Apart from the US, countries like Britain and France have also supported Ukraine. But for how long the support of these countries will last is a big question as European countries depend on Russia for a third of their gas needs. Now, if Russia stops this gas supply, then there will be a terrible power crisis in these countries. 

India's position in this dispute is also very important. Both Russia and the US are important for India. India still buys 55% of its weapons from Russia whereas India's relations with the US have strengthened significantly in the last 10 years. Apart from this, the country in which Ukraine first opened its embassy in Asia in February 1993 was India. Since then the business, strategic and diplomatic relations between India and Ukraine have been strengthened. That is, India cannot risk annoying any of these countries. 

Another point here is that Russia has so far taken a neutral stand on the India-China border dispute. But if India supports Ukraine, it will also diplomatically move Russia to China's side and perhaps this is the reason why recently, when 10 countries, including the US, brought a resolution on Ukraine in the United Nations, India did not vote in favor of anyone.

There is also a matter of concern for India that at present there are about 20,000 Indians stranded in Ukraine, out of which 18 thousand are medical students.

Well, it is said that it is very difficult to understand the relationship between Ukraine and Russia. The people of Ukraine want to remain independent, but at the same time, there is a strong feeling among the people of Eastern Ukraine that Ukraine should remain loyal to Russia. 

Apart from this, leaders in Ukrainian politics are divided into two factions. One openly supports Russia and the other supports Western countries. And this is the reason that today Ukraine is stuck between the big powers of the world.