The Us Reaction towards Russia and Ukraine
Political Science 170
Short Writing Assignment #1
Due: September 19, 2014
Conflict Among Russia, Ukraine, and the United States
Following the Ukrainian Revolution in February of 2014, which ultimately led to the impeachment of President Viktor Yanukovych, an interim government and president was put into place in Ukraine and was recognized by both the United States and the European Union. Because of this, the Crimean Peninsula, a piece of land located along the coast of the Black Sea in Ukraine, has become an area of great interest to Russia. The Crimean Peninsula was the base of the Russian Navy and is home to a roughly 60% Russian population (Mortimer 2014). It has now become an area in turmoil that is seeking to separate itself from Ukrainian control. Within a matter of days after the impeachment of Yanukovych, unmarked Russian soldiers were being seen throughout Crimea and surrounding areas. Russian President Vladimir Putin assumedly sent these soldiers, known to the locals as “little green men” (Gordts 2014), although Putin continued to deny this action for months. The United States and the European Nations continued to accuse Putin of fueling the conflict between Crimea and Ukraine by sending in soldiers and discouraged it’s involvement, but without a confession, there was little that anyone could do. It was not until mid-April that Putin admitted Russian’s premature military involvement, stating that the soldiers “were needed to lay the ground for the referendum that led to Crimea joining Russia” (Gordts 2014). Following the admittance of unnecessary and illegal involvement, little action was taken as a means of punishment for Russia’s denied participation. Trade talks have been canceled, joint military actions with NATO and Russia have ceased, and the United States has inflicted visa restrictions on Russian political powers, including Putin and his family (Brown 2014). Although these actions have slightly weakened Russia’s power, they will not
Short Writing Assignment #1
Due: September 19, 2014
Conflict Among Russia, Ukraine, and the United States
Following the Ukrainian Revolution in February of 2014, which ultimately led to the impeachment of President Viktor Yanukovych, an interim government and president was put into place in Ukraine and was recognized by both the United States and the European Union. Because of this, the Crimean Peninsula, a piece of land located along the coast of the Black Sea in Ukraine, has become an area of great interest to Russia. The Crimean Peninsula was the base of the Russian Navy and is home to a roughly 60% Russian population (Mortimer 2014). It has now become an area in turmoil that is seeking to separate itself from Ukrainian control. Within a matter of days after the impeachment of Yanukovych, unmarked Russian soldiers were being seen throughout Crimea and surrounding areas. Russian President Vladimir Putin assumedly sent these soldiers, known to the locals as “little green men” (Gordts 2014), although Putin continued to deny this action for months. The United States and the European Nations continued to accuse Putin of fueling the conflict between Crimea and Ukraine by sending in soldiers and discouraged it’s involvement, but without a confession, there was little that anyone could do. It was not until mid-April that Putin admitted Russian’s premature military involvement, stating that the soldiers “were needed to lay the ground for the referendum that led to Crimea joining Russia” (Gordts 2014). Following the admittance of unnecessary and illegal involvement, little action was taken as a means of punishment for Russia’s denied participation. Trade talks have been canceled, joint military actions with NATO and Russia have ceased, and the United States has inflicted visa restrictions on Russian political powers, including Putin and his family (Brown 2014). Although these actions have slightly weakened Russia’s power, they will not
Cited: Brown, Hayes. "5 Ways The U.S. Can Respond To Russia Invading Ukraine — Without Going To War." ThinkProgress RSS. March 4, 2014. Accessed September 12, 2014. http://thinkprogress.org/world/2014/03/01/3349231/5-ways-respond-russia-invading-ukraine-going-war/ Benitez, Jorge. "Modern Day Appeasement." US News. March 14, 2014. Accessed September 12, 2014.http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2014/03/14/the-wests-response-to-russias-ukraine-invasion-is-pathetic-appeasement Mortimer, Caroline. "Ukraine Crisis: Why Is Crimea so Important to Russia?" The Independent. March 3, 2014. Accessed September 14, 2014. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-crisis-why-is-crimea-so-important-to-russia-9166447.html Gordts, Eline. "Putin Admits Russian Soldiers Were In Crimea, Slams West For Role In Ukraine Crisis." The Huffington Post. April 17, 2014. Accessed September 14, 2014.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/17/putin-ukraine_n_5165913.html Techau, Jan. "NATO Military Response 'almost Unthinkable '" DW.DE. April 25, 2014. Accessed September 14, 2014. http://www.dw.de/nato-military-response-almost-unthinkable/a-17592366 Walsh, Kenneth. "Obama Tries Cautious Approach to Crises." US News. September 2, 2014. Accessed September 14, 2014.http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/ken-walshs-washington/2014/09/02/obama-tries-cautious-approach-to-crises Editorial, Post. "The U.S. Needs a More Aggressive Response to Mr. Putin 's War." Washington Post. January 1, 2014. Accessed September 16, 2014.