London, (Palrliament Politics Magazine) – With the rumored World War 3 being mentioned among media for quite some time, it seemed that Covid was too big a thing for it to come around. Yet, on February 24th, while people are still dealing with the leftovers of 2 years of a pandemic, Russia launched an attack on the much smaller country of Ukraine. Deeming it unsafe for Russia to continue to modernize and thrive while Ukraine was a threat.
What is this threat? After the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, which was considered a catastrophe for Putin and Russia’s great power, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) moved East in order to draw in EU nations. With countries like Poland and Romania joining the forces of NATO, and bordering countries Latvia and Estonia, next on the list were Ukraine. To the Russian President, Belarus and Ukraine are “part” of Russia and should therefore stay that way. Essentially, Putin would like his security zone for Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, to stay implanted as part of Russia.
As of March 9th, Russian troops are slowly progressing to the Capital Kyiv, having taken control over Kherson, Crimea and gradually covering the cities Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk and Mariupol. By entering Kyiv, Russia will be able to demolish communications and power which will impact its citizens greatly, as well as their overall morale. However, reports show Russian troops have been at a standstill for the past 3 days in Kharkiv, the second-largest city in Ukraine. With a 64km long military convoy stationed, it seems a mix of mechanical breakdowns and a continuously short supply of food and fuel are some reasons to blame. However, and surprisingly, reasons additionally include the unexpected power of Ukrainian forces and Russian troops having low morale for fighting. This doesn’t mean other tactics aren’t in place, such as air attacks which we could see soon.
If you are questioning when this could be over for the innocent Ukrainian people, it would require accepting Russia’s terms to halt attacks immediately, and that doesn’t seem like something that is going to happen anytime soon. We are looking at Kyiv being controlled by Russian forces before this terrible time is over.
Where Are Most Ukrainian Refugees Going?
On February 24th, the devastating news broke of Russia officially entering the littler country of Ukraine. War ensued, and 2 million Ukrainians made their way to neighbouring countries or any country that would accept them. As citizens around the world watched in sadness, many countries have opened up their borders in order to let in the mass amounts of innocent citizens fleeing the detrimental Russian invasion.
But where are all of the refugees going?
Sitting around Ukraine, we have, of course; Russia who has surprisingly taken in its own Ukrainian citizens. As well as Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova and Belarus.
Poland is being praised for its generosity as they have already taken in over 1 million refugees by Tuesday 8th of March. Although Poland has requested even more help from the EU to take care of the mass amounts of Ukrainians entering, the government has announced providing a one-off payment of 300 złoty to each refugee. Which is around £50 each and can support one person in basic needs for a considerable time.