Stop Russia!

Russia has launched a new wave of aggression against Ukraine. The development was expected, as the Ukrainian government has managed to seriously suppress pro-Russian separatists in the eastern part of the country. Russia has openly supported the rebels to serve its geopolitical interests.

As such, Ukraine faces a very serious threat. It will be too hard for the country to protect its borders alone. It did not use its military to defend Crimea. However, Russia decided to prolong its occupation plans. Russian analysts do not hide the fact that the Kremlin aimed at grabbing the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine, which are mainly inhabited by an ethnic Russian population.

Generally, Russia uses the same scheme all the time. It tries to aggravate conflicts based on ethnic disparities and use the situation for its own interests. Russia claims that it is defending its population. It also carries out a strong information campaign among the Russian people to justify this action.

The Ukrainian government stated on the flow of Russian soldiers to the pro-Russian controlled area on August 12-15. NATO also confirmed the presence of Russian soldiers in Ukraine. However, as usual, Russia denies any direct involvement in military operations. Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assures that only the pro-Russian separatists were involved in the fire fights. Moreover, Lavrov hopes that the Minsk agreement will provide a positive outcome in terms of making peace.

It is unclear how many Russian soldiers are in Ukraine. Some estimate that there are between 5,000-10,000 soldiers. According to Ukraine’s National Security Council spokesperson, Andrei Lysenko, there are 1,600 Russian soldiers in Ukraine. If Ukraine accepts the ceasefire proposal Russia has offered, it will not be a favorable solution for Ukraine, as it means the end of Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

The West does not doubt that Russia is occupying Ukraine. However, there has been no proper reaction. Only one country –Poland– might dare to provide Ukraine with weapons, but these weapons will not be enough to thwart Russian aggression. As for economic sanctions, Russia is not afraid… especially when western countries are not unanimous over the issue. They are afraid that Russia will not provide them with gas in winter and this unpleasant prospect overrides their concern for Ukraine’s territorial integrity

One of the experts even suggested the following analyses: If Russia claims that there are no Russian soldiers in the Eastern Ukraine and makes us believe the version, it means that there are separatists and terrorists fighting against the Ukrainian government forces there. In such a case official Kiev might apply to the NATO and the United States to support it in fighting against terrorism and the U.S. and the alliance might feel free to get involved in the process. Thus, Russia might be trapped by its own statements regarding the absence of Russian armed forces in Ukraine.

One might think that Russia will be satisfied with its achievements in Ukraine. Unfortunately, this is not the case. If Russia meets its goals in Ukraine, it will become emboldened and therefore more dangerous.