As Russia launches an invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin takes center stage. Multiple reports of explosions, bombings, and Russian military vehicles entering Ukraine from various points along the Russian border have surfaced overnight, with a mounting number of deaths on both sides.

Why does Russia wage war?

Ukraine has come to be a bone of contention between Moscow and Washington. The West wants to keep the Ukrainian nation out of NATO, stop weapon deployments near Russian borders, and roll back forces in Eastern Europe.

Despite this, Ukraine wants to join NATO, which has made things difficult for Russia. Russia is concerned that if Ukraine joined the organization, it would move closer to its borders and be eligible for military support in an external attack. So, Russia fears that Ukraine may try to regain control of Crimea if it joins NATO. President Putin has recently expressed his concerns about this. 

Therefore, Russia demands that the West stay out of Ukraine since Putin wants to establish Moscow’s influence throughout the post-Soviet space. Furthermore, Russia lost control of 14 former Soviet states, including Ukraine, after the collapse of the Soviet Union. 

This is tragic for Putin, as both countries had a shared “history and spiritual space.” According to the Russian President, Ukraine must demilitarize and become a neutral state if it will not join the West.