The crisis between Ukraine and Russia was severed

The alarming tensions between Ukraine and its imposing Russian neighbor make Teja Wu feel international, dangerously reminiscent of the Cold War.

Read more: Canada owes Ukraine up to $ 120 million

Read more: Moscow promises ‘grave consequences’ if its concerns are ignored

Ukraine’s entry into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), promised for more than a decade, is at the center of the ongoing war between the two Eastern European nations.

Moscow accuses Western nations of violating NATO’s promise not to expand to Russia’s borders at the end of the Cold War.

⁇[Les Russes] Ukraine’s membership in NATO must be formally and formally abandoned and NATO forces must be withdrawn from the Baltic republics because they are so close, ”explained Jack Lewesk, a professor of political science at the University of Quebec (UQAM) in Montreal.

You should know that NATO is strongly linked to the Cold War, a period of heightened tension and conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union. Formed after World War II, this political and military alliance aims to ensure the security of Western Europe and prevent the expansion of the Soviet Union through an alliance with the United States.

The origin of the conflict

To understand the origin of the current crisis, we must move on to the fall of the Soviet Empire and the end of the Cold War. In 1991, Ukraine, now independent, began a dialogue with NATO.

In 2008, the then US President George W. Bush. The story began again when Bush proposed a speedy NATO membership process for two former members of the Soviet Union, Ukraine and Georgia. However, France, Germany and Spain oppose the idea, citing Russia’s fear of retaliation, which has hampered file progress for years.

Tensions between the two countries continued in 2014, with Russia being able to easily annex a peninsular region of Crimea between the two countries and declare its independence in 1991 before accepting annexation to Ukraine the following year.

Apart from Crimea, the Donbass is considered a minefield between the two countries and an important economic and cultural part of Ukraine, having been embroiled in a war with pro-Russian separatists since 2014 and is widely regarded as its Kremlin army. And the father of finance.

“Ukraine lost Crimea, and in addition to gaining an opportunity to influence and control Ukraine’s desire to one day join NATO, Russia supported it. […] Donbass Rebellion, which is still there. That is what the Ukrainians are now trying to forcefully withdraw, ”he said. Lewesk explained.

In response to the conflict in Crimea, NATO increased its support for Ukraine and its member states refused to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea. The organization has strengthened its presence in the Black Sea and intensified its maritime cooperation with Ukraine.

“Slowly, cautiously with US assistance, we sent them weapons and provided military advice to strengthen the Ukrainian army. Russia now fears, for good reason, that the rebel forces in Donbass have mounted adequate defensive measures,” said Professor Zak Lewesk.

This fear has led Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy nearly 115,000 troops in Ukraine and Russia’s neighboring Belarus since last November.

In the face of these extraordinary troop movements, the international community has so far chosen the diplomatic option to avoid escalating tensions. Nevertheless, many U.S. officials fear the situation could escalate into an armed conflict.

Whose fault is it?

Washington hopes Russia can attack Ukraine at any time. The head of US diplomacy, Anthony Blinken, warned Moscow that the Russian invasion would divide the world in two, “the threat of an overall war is on everyone’s head”.

Russia has said it has no plans to intervene militarily in Ukraine. Nevertheless, one of his diplomats did not hesitate to draw a clear parallel to the Cold War last December. “We are currently seeing a kind of remake of the Cold War, a Cold War 2.0,” he argued, blaming his former adversary in the United States.

Since last year, President Joe Biden’s administration has approved the shipment of $ 650 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, including $ 200 million last month. However, Kiev is urging Western nations such as Canada to provide additional security weapons.

Canadian Foreign Minister Melanie Jolie traveled to Europe to meet with her colleagues to review the situation. In order to reaffirm Canada’s support for Ukraine, he took the opportunity to discuss with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zhelensky and his Foreign Minister.

According to expert Jacques Lévesque, the abandonment of NATO extension by the United States would be the solution to end the current tensions. “It will solve the problem, especially since the United States is not going to intervene anyway.”

– With AFP

Canada’s place in this conflict

With a community of 1.3 million citizens with Ukrainian roots, Canada had to engage diplomatically in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, but many are still waiting for decisive action from Ottawa.

According to Jacques Lévesque, a professor and expert in Russia, the decision to send Minister Jolie on the spot “was able to comfort the Ukrainians and ease the pressure on the Ukrainian community, especially in Canada, which is urging the Canadian government to get involved.”

Canada, a founding member of NATO since 1949, announced on Friday a loan of up to $ 120 million to Ukraine to help overcome the economic crisis caused by a sharp confrontation with Russia.

“We know there are other things they need to do [ce qu’on] A lot more can be done, “said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

If the latter did not rule out the possibility of sending arms like other NATO member states, it would not have taken a clear stand on the matter.

⁇[Il n’y a] There is no guarantee that we will send arms to Ukraine to defend ourselves, because we are well aware that the Canadian government is in danger of provoking Russian intervention to stop things, ”the expert said.

Nevertheless, about 200 members of the Canadian Armed Forces have been sent to Ukraine as part of Operation UNIFIER, which aims to strengthen the military capabilities of the East.

“A strong commitment from Canada is unlikely to happen at all,” said a professor at UQAM.

According to the 2016 census, more than 1.3 million Canadians (or 3.8% of the Canadian population) are of Ukrainian descent. This community, mainly in the west of the country, has the third largest population of Ukrainian descent in the world, after Ukraine and Russia.

One of his loudest voices was Deputy Prime Minister Christiaan Freeland. The granddaughter of Ukrainian immigrants, she continues to be subject to Russia’s slanderous propaganda because of her stance in favor of Ukraine.

Key dates of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine

• 1918: The People’s Republic of Ukraine enjoys brief independence until 1920
• 1991: Declaration of independence after the break-up of the Soviet Union
• 2008: US promises Ukraine will one day join NATO
• 2014: Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula merges with Russia, leading to war with pro – Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, killing more than 13,000.
• November 10, 2021: Washington calls on Russia to explain extraordinary troop movements on Ukraine border
• December 7, 2021: US President Joe Biden threatens to impose strong sanctions on Russia if it invades Ukraine.
• December 17, 2021: Moscow issues two draft agreements blocking NATO expansion and the establishment of military bases in the former Soviet Union.
• December 28, 2021: Moscow and Washington agree to talks
• January 10, 2022: Tense talks begin between Washington and Moscow
• January 14, 2022: Ukrainian government sites targeted by massive cyber attack
• January 18, 2022: Russia sends troops to Belarus
• January 19, 2022: Biden notes Russian ‘minor infiltration’ into Ukraine