The Analysis of the Ukraine Crisis - Essay Example

International Conflict: Ukraine Conflict Abstract The Ukraine crisis is the current focus of the world. The conflict originated from the now ousted President Yanukovych who preferred the Russian Federation to the European Union, by declining to sign a trade agreement with European Union, an act that sparked protests in the country. The conflict escalated to include the United States, European Union and Russia as key players. The US and EU accuse Russia of military assistance to the south-eastern Ukraine region rebels who fight for cessation from Ukraine. Crimea that used to be part of Ukraine is currently incorporated with the Federation of Russia. The conflict has occasioned over 2000 deaths and displacement of thousands from their homes. The US and EU have both imposed travel bans and economic sanctions on Russia, but Russia has retaliated through banning some exports from U.S and EU and cutting off gas supplies to the European countries. The sanctions have threatened the economies of the involved parties. The crisis can be resolved only through diplomacy where all the conflicting parties will be guaranteed protection of their interests. The Ukraine Crisis that was deemed a domestic regional issue has escalated to being an international issue, which has caught the attention of the U.S. and EU. The crisis started as protests against the government for it declining to sign a trade agreement with the European Union back in 2013. However, the agreement was not a mere trade agreement but also had political repercussions, which would have committed Ukraine to adhere to certain Europeans values and principles (Friedman, 2014). Notwithstanding the crisis has stimulated growing tensions between Russia and Western nations. Further, the crisis is rooted in over twenty years of weak leadership; heavy dependence on Russia and acute differences between Ukraine’s religiously, linguistically and ethnically diverse eastern and western regions (Summer.harvard.edu, 2014). Facts about the Conflict The crisis escalated rapidly and encompassed the fight against corruption and the need for government change. The protests primarily began in Kiev with most of the protestors being students and people from other regions. For the protestors, it was an opportunity for them to eliminate the deep-rooted corruption in the government. The ultimate effect of these protests was the ouster of the then President Yanukovych on February 2014, who fled to Russia after, which things calmed down in the western region, but the Eastern region became more unsettled because it was his political stronghold (Summer.harvard.edu, 2014). Subsequent to the ouster of President Yanukovich, Moscow annexed Crimean region and the port of Sevastopol and deployed its military forces near the eastern Ukraine border where conflicts broke out between the pro-Russian separatists and the new government in Kiev something the western powers have all along claimed that it is because of Russia’s support to separatist forces that has led to the escalation of the crisis that has left more than 2000 people dead and displacement of thousands from their homes. However, on its part, Russia claims that the protests in Ukraine is a scheme of the western powers because it believes the revolutions are not a representation of the will of the majority, but a Western powers’ new warfare tactic to remove independently elected and liberal minded national governments from power. Russia has also argued that the revolutions in Ukraine are part of a global strategy to forcibly impart foreign values on different nations of the world that have refused to accept the United States hegemony, hence, Russia was a specific target of this strategy (Summer.harvard.edu, 2014). Therefore, the Ukraine crisis has become a global concern. After persuasion from western nations in 1994, Ukraine gave up nuclear weapons that it had inherited from the Soviet Union after its independence in 1991, which had placed it the fourth largest nuclear power globally. In return, the leaders of the US, UK and Russia assured Ukraine of its security, sovereignty and the protection of its borders. However, Russia has already invaded Crimea, a region considered to be part Ukraine but the US and UK have remained committed to the promise. Thus, as much as promises can be easily broken, this issue raises concerns about the justifications for developing countries to develop nuclear weapons to guard their sovereignty, which would have grave repercussions for the global security (Summer.harvard.edu, 2014). Powers used by the Conflicting Parties The Ukraine crisis involves the new President Petro Poresheko’s government on one side and the south-eastern Luhansk and Donetsk regions and Russia on the other. The region has witnessed heavy deployment of both military and sanctions. The Kiev government has had fierce battles with the armed separatists in the south-eastern Ukraine as it tries to reclaim the region and while the separatists fight for the cessation of Kiev from Ukraine. Further, officials from Nato and Kiev accuse Russia of arming the separatists in Donetsk and Luhansk regions with weapons e.g. the missiles that were used to bring down a Malaysian civilian airliner in July 2014 in which all the passengers on board were killed. In addition, Russia has also been accused of firing into Ukraine over the border, accusations the Russian government has denied even though it continues to deploy thousands of military near border with Ukraine. Thus, because of this the EU & the U.S. have imposed numerous sanctions on Russia. For instance, on March 6, 2014, the US imposed travel sanctions on the Russian and Ukrainian individuals whom it accused of being responsible for the violation of the sovereignty and territories of Ukraine in regard to annexation of Crimea by Russia. Further, on September 12, 2014, the Obama government imposed new punitive sanctions on Russia, this time aiming at the Russia’s largest bank while at the same time restricting some US exports to oil projects in Russia. These sanctions were preceded by more EU treasury and commerce sanctions. The sanctions are all aimed at pressurizing the Russian President Vladimir Putin to honor the Sep 5 cease-fire terms signed between the Ukrainian government and the rebels (Euobserver.com, 2014). However, neither the sanctions nor the military powers employed by both sides have succeeded to quell the crisis. Russia, being one of the world’s powerful nations has always retaliated against these sanctions by banning imports of some goods from the US and EU countries. Notably, Russia has used it natural gas endowment to blackmail Ukraine and European countries by cutting gas supplies. Thus, the economic sanctions have hurt Russia, Ukraine, US and EU economies without providing a feasible solution to the crisis (Euobserver.com, 2014). Culture of the Conflicting Parties The three basic regions in Ukraine are the center, including Kiev, the west and south-east. The center region influences include Christianity influence and the early Slavic alphabet, which are a reflection of the Ukrainian identity. The region was most affected by frontier military society in the 16th century as well as being subjected to the rule of Lithuania and Poland before being taken over by Russia in the 18th century. The western region shares many linguistics and religious influences with the center. The region was for a long period under the rule of Poland and was influenced by Polish culture, language and Roman Catholicism. The south-east region has very little cultural similarities with the west. The region is dominated by Russian culture following migration of Russians to the region in the 19th century, who were attracted by industrial development and urbanization in the region (Summer.harvard.edu, 2014). Suggestions Fostering Consensus and Collaboration to Diminish Power Destructiveness Any successful solution to the Ukraine crisis must focus on the issues of regional autonomy, territorial integrity, protection of political and civil rights, stabilization and development of the economy. Crimea is already part of the Russian Federation following the March 16th referendum. The political future of the eastern and southern regions remains tentative and must be addressed (Friedman, 2014). It is logical that Russia, EU and other stakeholders should come to an agreement concerning the territorial integrity of these two regions. Russia should assure of its non-intervention. On the other hand, the Kiev government and its western friends would require assuring protection to the ethnic Russians all over Ukraine and also other crucial Russian interests in Ukraine. This would certainly satisfy Russia, and it would eliminate the immediate requirement for its military presence in Ukraine (Friedman, 2014). Ukraine would require a new constitution based on compromise and assuring the minorities of their rights and more democratic participation. The new constitution would also need to provide for rights of political parties in order to assure democratic rights of all Ukrainians. By this, the country will have taken a big step towards political progress and creation of authentic participatory democracy. In addition, there should be thorough investigations of crimes committed during the conflict. Further, amnesty should also be granted for combatants who have not committed war crimes (Friedman, 2014). Therefore, Ultimately, the Ukraine situation is considered one of the worst crisis that has hit the country since it gained independence from the Soviet Union. The crisis started as mild protests following decline by the government to establish stronger ties with European Union at the expense of Russia but has escalated from being a Ukrainian domestic issue to an international issue. The United States and EU blame Russia for the conflict, whom they accuse of military supplies to the south-eastern region rebels who are fighting for cessation from Ukraine hence triggering military encounters between the separatists and the new Ukrainian government which has left over 2000 people dead and displacement of others. Thus, because of the rate of the escalation of the crisis from being a domestic issue to an international issue, the U.S. and EU have been forced to intervene. References Euobserver.com. (2014). Russia threatens EU states with gas cut-offs. Retrieved 16 October 2014, from http://euobserver.com/foreign/125776 Friedman, U. (2014). A 24-Step Plan to Resolve the Ukraine Crisis. The Atlantic. Retrieved 16 October 2014, from http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/08/a-24-step-plan-to-resolve-the-ukraine-crisis/379121/ McLaughlin, L. (2014). The Russia-Ukraine Conflict: a Harvard Scholar Explains. Summer.harvard.edu. Retrieved 16 October 2014, from http://www.summer.harvard.edu/blog-news-events/conflict-ukraine-historical-perspective Read More