Russia-Ukraine War (RUW): Critical Overview

The history and geography of Ukraine and Russia are vastly intertwined. Ukraine is second only to Russia in size and land mass. It is a connecting link between Russia and Western Europe and has been appreciated for its unique existence by both sides. Previously, it was with Russia, and it is now in the process of joining the European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). If we go deep into the history of Russia, we can realize that during the medieval period, modern-day Kyiv was called ‘the cradle of Russian civilization’. Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus are traditionally considered ethically Russian and occasionally referred to as 'little Russians'(Singh: 3). The Russian leader believes that Ukraine is not just a neighboring country, but an inalienable part of Russian history, culture and spiritual space and that modern Ukraine was entirely created by Russia (Kuzio, 2018). However, Ukraine has preserved its distinct identity through its language and uniqueness. With the eruption of the Russian Revolution in 1917-21, the Communist Party of Ukraine joined hands with the Communist Party of Russia, willingly merged and formed the USSR in 1922. It was ruled by the Communist Party of the Soviet Union at the time and known as the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. Russian was the official language there. The countries of East Europe were known as satellite countries of the Soviet Union.