Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin in his New Year address praised Russian soldiers amid war against Ukraine saying “we believe in you”.
In his pre-recorded message, Putin told his citizens that everything will be right as the country was entering the third year of war with Ukraine. The President further lauded armed forces saying the nation is proud of their courage and bravery.
How did the war erupt?
According to Ukraine, the seeds of the conflict were sown with Russia’s annexation of Georgia in 2008 and of Crimea in 2014. The intensifying Russian aggression led to Ukraine getting closer to the Western bloc and demanding membership of the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
In March 2014, Russian forces seized control of Crimea. Putin justified this move by claiming the need to safeguard the rights of Russian citizens and Russian speakers in Crimea and southeastern Ukraine. Following a local referendum in which Crimeans voted to join Russia, the peninsula was formally annexed by Russia.
Ukraine’s demand for NATO membership became a point of huge contention between Putin and the West. While the West backed Ukraine calling it its ‘sovereign right’, Russia called it a ‘security threat’ and warned to invade Kyiv, if it persists with the demand.
In late February 2022, the United States issued a warning about Russia’s plans to invade Ukraine, pointing to the increasing military buildup along the Russia-Ukraine border. As reported by Al Jazeera on February 20, 2022, Russia decided to extend military exercises in Belarus. This move raised concerns for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who expressed heightened fears of an impending Russian invasion of Ukraine.
On the night of 23 to 24 February 2022, Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine. Putin Putin declared the start of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, involving land, sea, and air attacks targeting Ukrainian military sites and cities nationwide. Putin justified his “special military operation” in order to “demilitarize and denazify Ukraine,” which he claimed was committing genocide against the Russian-speaking population in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of eastern Ukraine.
Following the invasion, the Ukrainian authorities declared a nationwide state of emergency and announced other related defence and security measures, including the mobilization of reservists.
With inputs from ANI
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