by Nicholas Neoman

Russian troops have started to invade Ukraine’s borders, and for days on end, Ukraine has been under severe attack from the Russian invasion, forcing millions to flee major cities like Kyiv. 

Russian President Vladimir Putin believes he is sending these troops as peacekeepers, backing separatist states in eastern Ukraine that want to break away from the democratic country. Hundreds of military caravans have started to fill out eastern Ukraine as the world now starts to speculate the dangers that this could impose. 

Putin has yet to state what the extent of this invasion is. While some believe that it is a tactic to weaken Ukraine and free some lands, others speculate that Russia wants to overthrow Ukraine’s government. Putin’s reasoning behind these attacks is to create the “demilitarization and denazification” of Ukraine. However, these claims have been proven to be utterly false as Ukraine’s president is Jewish and there is no report of mass genocide occurring in Ukraine.

Early Thursday morning, air raid sirens could be heard wailing in major cities of Ukraine. Russia deployed missiles to attack these cities. These attacks are believed to be the most life-threatening air attacks since World War II with the Nazi Blitzkrieg. It also could point to a possibility of war on the horizon for not just Ukraine but all of Europe.

Today Russian forces are growing closer to conquering Kyiv as the death toll rises. Millions were fleeing the city of Kyiv today as fears of more invasion, both aerial and ground, began to grow. 

Increasing Russian units continue to pour into Ukraine as more innocent civilians are forced out of their homes. The Ukrainian government is running wild, trying to find an area to put displaced citizens while trying to mount some form of defense against the Russian government.

The Kremlin issued statements saying Vladimir Putin would eventually reveal how long this invasion would occur and what the goal of this attack is. As the world waits to see what Russia does next, it is interesting to imagine what could occur as a result of these attacks. After World War II, NATO was created, where Western allies would fight for each other in the event of an attack. Ukraine is not a part of this NATO agreement, however. 

US President Joe Biden has stated that the United States would not be defending Ukraine in any physical skirmishes. Unless Russia continues its march through Eastern Europe and attacks Baltic nations in NATO, the United States would remain neutral. Other forces like the United Kingdom and France also follow this same sentiment. 

However, President Biden has created sanctions on Russia economically which includes blocks on technology and special rules and laws for Russian banks. The Biden administration believes that this will hurt the Russian economy both immediately and over time.

Historians speculate that Russia and China, two strong Communist countries, could form an alliance against the world. If these two nations ally together, the US and other democratic nations around the world may be forced into a total war. 

Ultimately, the world still waits to see what unfolds as Europe becomes a chessboard where Putin is the prime mover. Could Putin call off these attacks; or could Europe become the center of nuclear warfare? As of now, all that the world is able to do is to send prayers for those fleeing Ukraine in terror.