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Why Should U.S. Citizens Be Concerned About the Ukraine-Russia Situation 

On February 24, Russia’s military invaded Ukraine, following weeks of rising tensions and US warnings of an impending strike. According to US sources, Russia spent weeks building military forces near eastern Ukraine, assembling over 150,000 troops in Belarus and on the Russian side of the border before entering Ukraine and attacking various cities and military posts, including Kyiv, the country’s capital. Before Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his plan to execute a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, the Kremlin repeatedly refuted invasion warnings.

Americans were split on how to respond in the months leading up to the invasion. According to a new Quinnipiac University survey, 57 percent of Americans believe the US should not send soldiers into Ukraine if Russia invades, but 54 percent favor Biden’s plan to send troops to NATO countries to protect them.

While US officials continued to warn of an invasion and escalating bloodshed, President Joe Biden delivered a speech to the American people, emphasizing that the US would not send troops to Ukraine. He did, however, promise to protect every inch of NATO territory, with thousands more troops already deployed in Europe, as well as to deliver lethal defense weapons, economic help, and an end to US and allied sanctions against Russia for the people and government of Ukraine.

Biden imposed further penalties against Russian banks in the aftermath of the invasion. And, similar to the necessity of placing well-thought-out wagers on 22Bet, he stressed the importance of the US involvement, stating that the crisis is about more than Russia and Ukraine.

Relations With NATO

You have to go back to the Cold War to understand the role of the United States in the dispute between Russia and Ukraine. The United States aided in the formation of NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, in 1949 to oppose Soviet aggression in Europe. NATO has grown three times since then, with the entrance of three former Soviet states.

Ukraine, a former Soviet republic bordered to the east by Russia, is not a member of the alliance, despite the organization’s opening the door to membership in 2008. Putin has urged that this not happen as part of his efforts to reduce NATO’s presence near Russia’s border.

In 1994, the United States and Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, which required Ukraine to hand over its nuclear weapons reserves in exchange for security assurances against threats to its territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as a request for immediate UN Security Council action to assist and support Ukraine. When Russia took Crimea in 2014, it violated the deal.

NATO allies on Russia’s border are also causing American officials concern. The Council on Foreign Relations believes the Ukraine crisis will have a significant impact on US interests, stressing that if Russia enhances its position in Ukraine or NATO countries, the war risks hurting US-Russia relations and escalation. As Russia strives to re-enter the great power game, the US hopes to maintain the balance of power in Europe by utilizing Ukraine as a buffer against Russian-perceived threats. Ukraine is crucial from a strategic standpoint for Russia, the US, and NATO.

 

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