Recently, news outlets all over the world have been keeping a consistent eye on the crisis in Ukraine. However, there is a lot of background information to this story that not everyone may understand. Here are some of the key players in this situation and what you need to know about them.
One term that is heard frequently as all of this plays out is ‘no-fly zones.’ No-fly zones are areas where only one country’s military forces are permitted to use aircraft within. The aircraft that are in the sky, though, will be keeping an eye out for anything crossing into the zone. Some may think that, in this case, a no-fly zone over Ukraine would help put this situation to an end. However, there are world officials that disagree.
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is an international group of representatives from 30 countries dedicated to maintaining world peace. Though most of its members are European nations, Ukraine is not on that list. That fact has been a major point of contention throughout the entirety of the history between Russia and Ukraine.
Why is Ukraine not part of NATO? One of the reasons is Russia’s wish for Ukraine to stay out of the organization. Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, sees Ukraine not as an independent country but as part of Russia – this is despite Ukraine declaring independence in 1991. Another reason could be the history of instability within Ukraine – the country has had to grapple with its own revolutions against leaders. While NATO has been providing aid to Ukraine, there are some concerns over where to draw the line to prevent further violence from Russia.
Back to no-fly zones: why exactly is NATO so afraid to grant one? What are the implications? NATO fears that a no-fly zone would cause “direct conflict” with Russia and further escalate an already harrowing situation. No-fly zones are expensive as well and could prevent Ukraine from defending itself. Additionally, while a no-fly zone declaration may give civilians a chance to get out, it leaves a bit of worry for those who are unable to get out. There is some pushback against the idea of a partial no-fly zone, too.
Perhaps the ultimate and most unanswered question is that of Vladimir Putin’s goal at the end of all of this – whenever that may be. It’s not that he wants more land – he wants recognition for the land he does have, particularly Crimea. Putin has also expressed his wish to break down the Ukrainian government from the outside, claiming that it is time to “de-Nazify” it. Putin did not want to go to these lengths, but now both Russia and Ukraine are knee-deep in a scene that has shocked the entire world.
In addition to local and national news outlets, NATO is actively reporting on this situation (and their response) on its website.
Carly Webster
Reporter