A vicious circle of National Security

Russia versus Ukraine.

Every geographically neighbouring country shares a relationship whose dynamic is influenced by history that they share. The same can be said about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Be it historical colonial imperialism or difference in political ideologies, being the residents of 21 century, no nation should break moral conduct by using force. However, when all other methods fail to secure the power or to defend the nation, all that is left to use is force i.e military invasion. Today, the world is juggling these two conflicting ideas, which divides this article into introducing the western and eastern perspectives of the world on the Ukraine-Russia war on equal footing.

The western side of the world, including the United States and The European Union, views this matter ideologically. They believe the invasion of Ukraine was motivated by historical colonial imperialism: Ukraine, including many other eastern European countries, was once part of the USSR (Soviet Union). USSR: a one-party state ruled by the Communist Party since its founding. However, in 1911 due to the oppressive nature of this form of governance, 15 nations declared their independence (Ukraine being one of them), and the USSR collapsed. As a result, Russia’s image of a superior Soviet Union deteriorated globally.

Alongside, Vladimir Putin’s political career was also in jeopardy as he failed to restore the power of the USSR. Hence, if Ukraine signed NATO (The North Atlantic Treaty Organization), the Russian government would lose its chances to reunite the USSR, which is currently one of its core propaganda. Additionally, Putin’s political interest also plays a role here; when Russia annexed Crimea, a small nation in the peninsula, he saw a political upsurge in votes. Therefore, his actions could also seen as a quest to save his political career.

Although this issue seems to involve just Ukraine and Russia, it is more complicated than that. The reason for worldwide interest here is based on the following reasoning. Right after the cold war, there was a divide in political ideologies, where the east followed a communist mindset protected by the USSR and the west by a democratic mindset i.e. NATO. In recent years countries like the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and many more switched their form of government from communist to democratic. Russia and China, dominantly led by a communist government, see western influence as a threat to their political system. Hence, If Ukraine joins NATO, it will introduce democracy to Russia, overthrowing the current form of government. In attempts to foster the communist view, even China is supporting Russia, as can be seen from the Olympics games in 2022. In a nutshell, the west claims that Putin is using unethical means to gain political power.

The east, on the other hand, views it differently. Russia’s invasion is viewed as a military operation for national security. The focus here shifts from Ukraine to America. They say that there is no war, it’s a matter of political warfare between Russia and America, and it’s either unfortunate that Ukraine is facing devastating consequences, or being a pawn in America’s strategic plan.

History has been an example of how America attacked Syria and Iraq allegedly by taking advantage of loopholes in the peace treaties. One of them is the UNO treaty, where an independent minor nation can call for military help against an external nation that is a threat to the minority. It is globally known that Russian and American ties are the epitome of distrust. If Ukraine joins NATO, the American military will have easy access to Kyiv which is 30 mins away from Moscow. Russia sees this as a threat to its nation as America could use Ukraine as a tool to attack Russia. Moreover, the Russian military would have to fight not only with American soldiers but also with the EU military, as per the NATO guidelines. According to the eastern perspective, the invasion of Russia is justified as it is borne out by fear of colonization, in simple words, it is about taking precautionary measures for national security.

Secondly, Russia would face an economic crisis if Ukraine becomes a NATO member; Most of the gas pipelines being served to the EU and other countries, by Russia, pass through Ukraine. After joining NATO, Ukraine becomes a part of the EU. As a result, now Russia would have to pay heavy taxes (33 billion dollars) for transporting its gas via Ukraine. To secure Nation’s economy, Russia’s demands seem justified by the East. The east view the matter more pragmatically, which is an ideal government should be capable enough to adopt all possible measures, especially when the country is under threat.

Regardless of if the war is justified or not, it’s civilians’ lives that are at stake here. Not only Ukrainian but also Russian civilians’ as are facing worldwide discrimination for their government’s actions. Today, every resident, be it from any corner of the world is torn between the two sides of the same coin. One side is “Russia should subside its actions for the sake of humanity”, while the other: “Ukraine should submit to Russia’s demands after all its own civilians’ lives are at stake here.” Among this vicious cycle of national security, what do you think is justified?

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