We see it on our feeds, hear about it in the news, and discuss it with our friends: The war in Ukraine has begun. This war is an event that has long been foretold, but one that many never truly believed would happen. That all changed on February 24, when Vladimir Putin began a war in Ukraine under the pretext of a military operation.
For more context on the events before this war, this article from a week before the conflict is more thorough, but the following is the shortened version: Ukraine and Russia have had a deeply intertwined history for over a millennia, but their relationship has not always been friendly. Examples of their tense relationship include tragedies like Holodomor (a Soviet-era manufactured famine that resulted in the deaths of at least 3.3 million Ukrainians) or more recent conflicts like the 2014 revolution that ended with a pro-western Ukrainian government and the Russian annexation of Crimea. These tensions have heightened as NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) has spread to formerly Soviet-aligned countries in Europe. Then, as the Ukrainian people have continued to push for entrance into both NATO (which they have officially requested since 2008) and the EU, Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his opposition to these ideas of westernization. He then placed a force of over 100,000 troops on the Ukraine-Russia border and the Ukraine-Belarus border (the Belarusian president is a self-proclaimed dictator and strong ally of Putin) and the Black Sea. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, initially treated this as a pressure technique and told people to “calm down.” Then, the dreaded day came, and Russian troops marched into Ukraine.
On Thursday, February 24, at 4:50 a.m. EET (Wednesday, 9:50 p.m. EST), Vladimir Putin spoke to the Russian people. In his speech, he asserted his plan to “conduct a special military operation . . . to protect people who have been subjected to abuse and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years." He further stated that “[he is] not going to impose anything on anyone by force." Seventeen minutes later, the Russian military began conducting missile attacks on the Ukrainian cities of Kyiv and Kharkiv. Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law in the country, air raid sirens sounded across the nation, and the war officially began.
Immediately after this, many Ukrainians flooded out of the capital city of Kyiv, but many others remained. Many of those who remained in the city are among the thousands across the country who have volunteered to defend their land from the invading force of Russia. In fact, the Ukrainian president vowed that he would arm any of his citizens who wanted to protect their nation for as long as he had weapons to give. The Ukrainian president has also stayed in Ukraine and has been posting videos from the frontlines of Ukraine, showing that he, along with many other leaders in the country, is dedicated to staying and fighting with his people. This is despite an offer by the U.S. to move Zelensky to a safer place, where he famously responded, “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.” As a result of this, as well as his other acts of demonstrated bravery, his narrative has changed from one of a, “comedian-turned-president . . . in over his head,” to an “inspiring . . . hero.”
As Zelensky leads his nation in a war of resistance, the rest of the world has reacted and countless people across the globe have protested in solidarity with Ukraine. The world’s leaders have also responded in solidarity with Ukraine against the aggression of Russia, with the United Nations, NATO, and many world leaders condemning Russia in the strongest possible diplomatic terms. Many of these countries have also committed to applying sanctions on Russia and applying pressure on the government in any possible way, outside of beginning a global conflict. This is only the beginning, and we have yet to see what else this war has in store.
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of Andrews University. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, Andrews University or the Seventh-day Adventist church.