On Thursday morning, Russia invaded the neighboring country of Ukraine. As of Friday afternoon, the death toll is at an estimated 137 total soldiers and civilians and an estimated 100,000 Ukrainians have fled to neighboring countries to avoid the conflict.
Russian troops are believed to be on the outskirts of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, advancing from the north, the east, and the south. Many areas of Ukraine have reportedly been overtaken by Russian forces.
In a speech early on Thursday Putin claimed that Russia had been pushed to war by what he called “fundamental threats” imposed by Western politicians for including the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization [NATO], a military alliance composed of the United States, Canada, and 28 European countries. Ukraine has been in talks to join NATO since 2008, which Putin sees as a significant threat to Russia’s sphere of influence.
Russia has historically seen Ukraine as an extension of Russia, calling Ukrainians and Belarusians as “Little Russians.” Many Russian citizens have protested the attack on Ukraine despite attempts by the Russian government to quell opposition.
“Ukraine is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space.” he said in a speech on Monday. “These are our comrades, those dearest to us – not only colleagues, friends and people who once served together, but also relatives, people bound by blood, by family ties.”
Within 24 hours of the attack, several countries around the world condemned it, unleashing several sanctions against the Russian economy, leading to the fifth-worst stock market crash in history with the benchmark MOEX Russia Index closing 33% lower and eliminating $189 billion in shareholder wealth but has since zigzagged up and down. Ukrainian leaders encouraged allies to continue their sanctions on Russia by removing them from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication [SWIFT].
The US and its NATO allies have not announced any plans to involve troops in the crisis, although the US has ordered more than 14,000 troops to Europe to guard NATO allies if Russia moves into a NATO-backed country. This brings the number of US troops in Europe to almost 100,000.
