Ukraine-Russia Crisis: What Caused the Violence?

A Ukrainian serviceman checks the situation at the positions on a front line near Zolote village, not far from where pro-Russian militants controlled the city of Luhansk, Ukraine. Peaks in recent years, except for diplomatic efforts to find a solution. 

 There are a number of issues that have led to the crisis that have lasted for decades and have affected countries in the region. Here is what we know about the crisis. This problem has been on the rise since October 2021. That was when Russia began sending thousands of troops to its border with Ukraine. 

 Satellite imagery and intelligence revealed that more than 100,000 soldiers were stationed in the area. There are heavy weapons such as tanks and armored vehicles and rifles that can fire tanks and planes parked on the border between the two countries. Ukraine has expressed concern about the deployment of Russian troops on its border, but the government has said there is no indication Russia is on the verge of attack. 

 Russia has said it does not intend to deploy troops in the region to intimidate Ukraine, and says it has the authority to send troops anywhere in the country. Some of Russia's main weapons on its border with Ukraine include S-400 rocket-propelled grenades. a foothold for Russia if the opportunity arises. 

 In addition to the military crisis, there is also a diplomatic standoff between Russia and Nato. Russia does not want Nato to expand its membership, and wants to assure it that Ukraine will not be allowed to join the bloc forever. 

This is a position that is also supported by its Chinese ally. Nato currently has 30 members, but other countries could be included in the bloc. In the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the former Soviet Union, Nato sought to forge alliances with the newly independent states of Central and Eastern Europe. 

Ukraine is not a member of Nato, but a 'friend' Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Ukraine could be a threat to it if it joins Nato. But Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg says Russia has "no right to recognize or prevent any country from joining the bloc." As diplomacy struggles to resolve the crisis, Ukraine is seeking a different approach to its relationship with Nato. As she has long stated in Russia that she has no intention of doing so, only some of her statements are confusing. "They have already attacked," Lutsevych said. 

He was referring to Russia's annexation of southern Crimea in 2014. "More than 14,000 people have been killed and more than 33,000 injured. The Ukrainian people have long suffered under Russian attacks." In January the Ukrainian army attended a memorial service for soldiers killed while defending the country. Nato did not get involved in the conflict directly, but for the first time sent troops to Eastern Europe, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Romania. 

Russia wants these troops withdrawn from the list. But Nato has said it has no plans to withdraw its troops. On February 17, German President Olaf Scholz told Russian President Joe Biden that his country was with the United States on the issue of imposing sanctions on Russia once it invades Ukraine. US sanctions against Russia include banning the country's banks from using the SWIFT money transfer system.