One of the main requirements for Russia To end the war is that Ukraine Never be a part of NATO. Reporter Asmar Madeira explains why this is a key point in the conflict.
Geographical location of Ukraine Considered a strategy by Russiawho is uneasy about the prospect of the country joining the Western military alliance, especially since 2008. progress NATO In Eastern Europe it is an old concern of the Russians.
The alliance currently has 30 member statesabout half of it is close to RussiaAnd form a kind of belt. The Ukraine seen by the president Russian President Vladimir Putin like a shield. This is because in addition to the military strength of each member state, the NATO It has four multinational bases in the region: PolandAnd the LithuaniaAnd the Latvia And the EstoniaWith soldiers, tanks and planes.
Since its establishment in 1949, The Alliance is committed to mutual protection. If a country is attacked, everyone responds in defense. But the director of the Institute of Studies about Russia Give Columbia UniversityAnd the Alexander Cooleymade clear that this is not the only reason for interest put it in.
This is not just a battle over security locks. It is a struggle for the economic direction of Ukrainebetween joining the West or getting close to Russia and its industries.
Furthermore, he said: “The Ukraine It has an outlet to the Black Sea and is an important area for food production.
This was exactly the motive that started the conflict nearly a decade ago. The Ukraine I negotiated an economic agreement with European Union Which foresaw, among other things, the creation of a free trade area. The idea is upset Russia and the Tensions between the two countries have only worsened since then.
In 2013, the then Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovychwho was an ally of Putin, abandoned the agreement. A wave of protests led to his dismissal. Rebel groups supported Moscow. The Russia annexation of a peninsula Crimea to its territory in 2014, after a referendum that the international community objected to. Currently, Russian President Vladimir Putin srecognized the independence of two separatist regions, Donetsk and Luhansk. One of the justifications is the historical and cultural ties between them Russia And the Ukraine.
Cooley said that Putin is not achieving the goals he intended for failed to take Ukraine Quickly and replace the government.
“The irony is why Putin thinks that Russian troops will be welcome now. Opinion polls showed that the approval rating of the Ukrainian president was very low, about 20%. But the invasion had the opposite effect: Volodymyr Zelensky’s popularity soared to more than 90%. The truth is that Putin really miscalculated.”
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