It sounded like a Cold War, a dangerous episode of the past. An unexpected Russian leader was gathering troops and tanks at the neighboring border. There were fears of a bloody fire in the East-West. Then the Cold War erupted: Vladimir Putin ordered Russian troops to invade Ukraine. The results were immediate and far-reaching. In the days leading up to the attack, as Russian troops reached an estimated 190,000 forces, and as the United States warned in stern terms that a military strike seemed inevitable, Mr. European leaders have been working hard to persuade the Kremlin to step down.
Then on Feb. 24, Russia's president, addressing his nation, announced the start of a "special military campaign" in Ukraine. Now, uniting the largest European armies seen since 1945 onwards, Ukrainian troops and militants are fighting to fight the Russian invasion on numerous fronts. On Monday, talks began between Russian and Ukrainian envoys in Belarus, Moscow's closest ally, but more movement took place on the battlefield than on the negotiating table. A convoy of Russian cars, 17 miles [17 km] long, reportedly headed for the capital, Kyiv. And in a major escalation, dozens of Russian rockets attacked a residence in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, in which at least nine civilians were killed and scores injured. Outside observers thought that Mr. Putin, frustrated by the slow movement of his troops - far superior to Ukrainian but facing the strength of Ukrainian troops and civilians alike - may have become impatient and decided to intensify the war. That could point to more casualties, they said. The number of refugees who have fled the country has risen to more than half a million. And Mr. Putin appears to be aiming to seize the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, overthrow the democratically elected Ukrainian government, and put the country on the Russian run.
The invasion threatens to undermine the ever-changing Soviet region, with serious consequences for the security structure that has dominated Europe since the 1990s. Putin has long lamented the loss of Ukraine and other republics when the Soviet Union split. Now, reducing NATO, the military alliance that helped keep the Soviets in control, maybe his real job. Before the attack, Russia made a list of far-reaching requirements for the reconstruction of the structure - positions rejected by NATO and the United States.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, NATO extended eastward, eventually occupying many former European countries that had been under Communist rule. The Baltic Republics of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, formerly part of the Soviet Union, joined NATO, as did Poland, Romania, and others. As a result, NATO relocated hundreds of miles near Moscow, on the Russian border directly. And in 2008, it said it was planning - one day - to register Ukraine, though that still seemed a long way off. Mr. Putin described the Soviet breakdown as a catastrophe that stripped Russia of its rightful place among the world's major powers and put it at the mercy of Western carnivores. He has spent 22 years in the power of re-establishing Russian troops and reaffirming his political power. Russia's president calls for NATO's growing threat and hopes to join Ukraine as a major threat to his country. As Russia has grown stronger and militarily strong, its grievances over NATO have grown significantly. He has repeatedly called for attacks on American ballistic missiles and anti-Ukrainian missiles, although US, Ukrainian, and NATO officials insist they are not.
After building more troops on the border since late 2021, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, which is ongoing.
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