Russia – Invasion of Ukraine

March 15, 2022

Russia – Invasion of Ukraine 

Padmini Arhant

President Vladimir Putin’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine claiming the war is all about demilitarization and denazification while the recent Russian military air strikes, rockets, relentless bombing and shelling of civilian areas not even sparing children’s hospital with maternity ward ironically exemplify nazi style indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians in Ukraine. 

President Vladimir Putin’s grudge and grievances against Ukrainians citing the Russian assault targets nationalists in Ukraine again when the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s action is characteristic of nationalism.

The Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reason on the Ukraine invasion is to eliminate members and groups referred to as nationalists allegedly committed violence against ethnic Russians and Russian speaking population in Donbas region, eastern Ukraine. 

Juxtaposed, the Russian President’s move against entire Ukrainians not barring Russian Ukrainians killed and the survivors evacuated as refugees in the military combat by Russian artillery profoundly define President Vladimir Putin’s vulnerability and inconsistency in justifying the unjustifiable military intervention in Ukraine. 

Notwithstanding Kremlin’s violent crackdown on own population in Moscow and other major cities typically a war on political dissent in the home ground confirm the war in Ukraine is in pursuit of President Vladimir Putin’s personal goals.

The Russian President’s long term aspiration to annex Ukraine not just Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, but the sovereign nation in entirety is clear now in the intensified and extensive military campaign aimed at western Ukraine as well. 

What is the compelling factor for President Vladimir Putin’s reluctance to ceasefire and withdrawal from Ukraine? 

Obviously, it is not Russian population in eastern Ukraine as stated earlier at the onset and during invasion. The Russians plight in Russia is domestically and internationally known to be oppressed and tragic. The complete lack of freedom along with miserable political and economic status for the local Russians in the vast country is an open secret. 

The Russian citizens in Russia are denied basic rights and individual liberty to peacefully oppose the war. They are not allowed to speak against violent operation carried out in their name using public paid taxes they neither approve nor support the cause.

In return, the military incursion leaving them and Russian economy in dire straits is the grim reality. The situation is least favorable to Russians in Russia as well as Russians in eastern Ukraine and other post Soviet republics in the region. 

The Russian President Vladimir Putin’s major issue with Ukraine is none of the above. In fact, Ukraine’s democracy and independence from the former Soviet empire is the bone of contention.  

Ukraine’s democracy at Russia’s doorstep appears to be neither welcome nor appreciated considering Kremlin’s transparency on anti-democratic values and rules against own citizens in Russia. 

The revival of former Soviet eastern blocc either via violent aggressive annexation or de facto pro-Russian authority such as in Chechnya, South Ossetia, Abkhazia in the North and South Caucasus – all established in 2008, 2014  and 2022 is President Vladimir Putin’s doctrine. 

War is ugly, brutal, merciless and paradoxically harbinger of downfall of dominance, imperialism and totalitarianism. The world is experienced in this regard since time immemorial.

The price paid via economic costs and precipitous decline in the process of resurrecting former Soviet era might soon lead to Russian nation with twenty first century population moving away from twentieth century Kremlin’s iron curtain, unbridled control and power amid rampant corruption and violent seizure of Sovereign territories near and far.

The former Soviet Union and any prevalent system under the pretext of the so-called democracy concentrated in overt or covert oppression, suppression, discrimination via intolerance to individual rights and freedom of choice invariably accompanied by starvation through economic doom and gloom are resigned to self-termination. 

All of these activities combined is the tipping point for Kremlin’s soliloquy To Be or Not To Be a past Soviet remnant. 

Padmini Arhant

Author & Presenter

PadminiArhant.com

Prakrithi.PadminiArhant.com

Written by Padmini Arhant · Filed Under Eastern Europe, Featured 

Comments

Got something to say?

You must be logged in to post a comment.