Why Russia invades Ukraine on February, 24, 2022?

The President of  Russia, Vladimir Putin, in a televised address on Thursday, February 24, 2022 morning, said that Russia would conduct 'a military operation' in the eastern region of Ukraine.

During the address, Putin said that the recent action comes as a retaliation to the continuous threats coming from Ukraine. He said that Russia has no intentions to occupy the nation in any manner, adding that the full credit for the bloodshed and destruction lies with the Ukraine "regime".

On November 10, 2021, it was first announced that the Federation of Russia had deployed its soldiers on the borders it shared with Ukraine. Till November 28, 2021, it has been confirmed that Russia has deployed nearly 1,00,000 troops on Ukrainian borders.

As per the reports, it was anticipated that Russia could invade Ukraine between the period of early January to mid-February, 2022.

According to U.S. Intelligence reports, Russia was about to invade Ukraine on February 16, 2022. But Russia refused and satirized by saying, "We have no intentions of invasion, we are just there for joint military drills."

But later on Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a televised address called a "full-scale invasion of Ukraine."

Minutes after the address, big explosions were heard in some regions of Kyiv, Kharkiv and several other areas of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Putin has warned other nations that any attempt of interference with Russian actions would lead them "to face consequences that they have never seen."

He said the Russian military operation aims to assure a "demilitarization" of Ukraine. Mr Putin added that all Ukrainian troops who lay down their arms would be able to leave the combat zone safely.

• Why has Russia chosen February 24, 2022?

According to several reports, Russia shares excellent bilateral ties with China. China has been considered a critical player in this date fixing. It is anticipated that "Russia could be waiting for Beijing Olympics to end to move forward with invasion."

The ties between Russia and China could be clarified from an excerpt from Tanvi Madan's book 'Fateful triangle- How China shaped US-India Relations During the Cold War', which states the situation of Russia during the Indo-China war in the 1960s. As Nikita Khrushchev was quoted as saying, "He had declared to Chinese officials his support for his Chinese "brothers" rather than his Indian "friends", he has also delayed the delivery of MiGs to India."

As Beijing Olympics concluded on February 20 2022, so as on February 21, President Putin addressed the nation via television, stating that, "My address concerns the events in Ukraine and why it holds so much significance for Russia. My message is, of course, addressed to our compatriots in Ukraine."

"The matter is very serious and needs to be discussed in depth."

"The situation in Donbass has reached a critical, acute stage. I am speaking to you directly today not only to explain what is happening but also to inform you of the decisions being made as well as potential further steps."

"I would like to focus again that Ukraine is not just a neighbouring nation for us. It is an inalienable part of our own history, culture and spiritual space. These are our comrades, those dearest to us – not only colleagues, friends and people who once served together, but also relatives, people bound by blood, by family ties."

• Why did the Russian military calls for a full-scale attack?

The Russian military is getting ahead on Ukraine from all of the directions following President Putin's order of invasion. In a televised address on Thursday morning, he revealed Russia is not able to feel safe develop and exist because of what he claimed was a constant threat from modern Ukraine.

Russian troops advanced firstly towards airport and military headquarters near cities around Ukraine, then tanks and more military personnel moved into Ukraine from Russia, and it's friend Belarus.

Many of President Putin's arguments were false or irrational. He claimed his goal was to protect people subjected to bullying and genocide and aim for the "demilitarisation and de-Nazification" of Ukraine. There has been no genocide in Ukraine: it is a vibrant democracy, led by a president who is Jewish.

"How could I be a Nazi?" said Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who likened Russia's onslaught to Nazi Germany's invasion in World War Two.

Mr Putin has accused Ukraine for many times of being taken over by extremists, from since, it's pro-Russian President, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted in 2014 after month-long protests against his rule.

Russia then made a retaliation by seizing the southern Crimea and triggering a rebellion in the east, backing separatists who have fought Ukrainian forces in a war that has claimed 14,000 lives.

But later in 2021, Russia again started deploying a massive number of troops nearby Ukrainian borders, while continuously denying on the question of whether it was going to attack?

Then Mr Putin scrapped a 2015 peace deal agreement for the east and recognized areas under rebel control as an independent.

Russia has long resisted Ukraine's move towards the European Union and the West's defensive military alliance, NATO. While announcing about Russia's invasion, he accused NATO of threatening "our historic future as a nation."

What is the Conflict all about

• The tensions between Ukraine and Russia first ignited in late 2013 over a landmark political and trade deal with the European Union. After the pro-Russian then-President, Viktor Yanukovych, suspended the talks, weeks of protests in Kyiv erupted into violence.
• Then again, in March 2014, Russia annexed Crimea, an autonomous peninsula in the southern region of Ukraine with solid Russian loyalties, on the pretext that it was defending its interests and those of Russian-speaking citizens.
• Sooner after, pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions have declared their independence from Kyiv, prompting months of heavy fighting. Despite Kyiv and Moscow signing a peace agreement in Minsk in 2015, which was brokered by France and Germany, there have been repeated ceasefire violations.

What is the Minsk agreement- Minsk I– Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists agreed on a 12-point ceasefire deal in the capital of Belarus in September 2014.

• The deal's provisions include prisoner exchanges, humanitarian aid deliveries, and heavy weapons withdrawal.
• The agreement quickly broke down, with violations by both the sides.

Minsk II- During 2015, an open conflict was avoided post the 'Minsk II' peace agreement was signed, under the mediation of Germany and France.

• It was signed to put an end to the fight in the rebel regions and hand over the border to Ukraine's national troops.

• How far will Russia go?

As per the recent reports, President Putin has null and void the Minsk agreement and started pushing troops to invade Ukraine. Putin calls it a full-scale military operation and blames Ukraine for the consequences it will face.

Whereas, the sources stated that several European nations and the U.S. are under continuous worry that President Putin is now taking over the entire Ukraine by capturing it wholly.

As per several experts, from the date since the Soviet Union has broken apart, Russia has been doing similar things with all of its neighbouring nations. The example could be relatable to back in 2014, when Russia occupied Crimea.

Earlier in 2008, Russia has also occupied some of the regions of Georgia, in which Abkhazia and South Ossetia actually came under Russian occupation. Around 20% of Georgia is under Russian occupation.

• What are the options available to the Western nations to help Ukraine?
• The very first option available to the western nations is that they can either avoid war by side-stepping from Ukraine's side, but it will eventually result in instigating Russia to occupy more of the Ukrainian region.
• The another option available to western nations is to send their forces to battle from either side, which will eventually result in global fears of World War III.
• The third option available for the nations is by imposing strict sanctions on Russia, which several countries, including the U.S., U.K., Japan, and Germany, have imposed.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has released a video address on Friday, February 25, 2022, in which he was feeling left alone to fight Russia.  In a video address, President Zelenskyy said, "We have been left alone to fight for our state. Who is ready to fight along with us? I don't see anyone. Who is ready to give Ukraine a guarantee of NATO membership? Everyone is afraid." List of the sanctions imposed by Western nations on Russia-

• The European Union and the United Kingdom have set personal sanctions against President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
• The European Union also wants to restrict Russian access to capital markets and cut off its industry from the latest technology and defence. It has also targeted 351 MPs who backed Russia's recognition of the rebel-held regions.
• Germany has stopped approval of Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, a major investment by both Russia and European companies.
• The United States blames ten of Russia's most significant financial institutions, with about 80% of its banking assets, so they will struggle to do transactions in dollars or euros.
• The U.K. says all major Russian banks would have their assets frozen, with 100 individuals and entities targeted, and Russia's national airline Aeroflot will also be banned from landing in the United Kingdom.

Ukraine has also implored its allies to stop buying Russian oil and gas. The three(3) Baltic states have called on the whole international community to disconnect Russia's banking system from the international community to system. Which could worse affect the U.S. and European economies, and Germany is quite reluctant to agree to it.

The Russian city of St Petersburg will no longer be able to host this year's Championship League final for security reasons.

Pros and cons of imposing sanctions-

• According to experts, when any of the nations is side-stepping or imposing any economic sanctions or whenever any of the nations try to attack any the nation economically, it affects the imposing country, and the most major factor in this is how many adverse effects on the economy a country can bear.
• According to the reports, the most significant sanction came from Germany's side as the nation has halted Nord Stream 2 approval over Russian recognition of Ukraine's republics, which is expected to bring harsh consequences for Germany as well. As per the reports, it is considered as a big step as more than 50% of Germany's gas supply comes directly from Russia. It is expected that Germany is interrupting its own gas supply, which means that gas prices in Germany will increase rapidly.

• Why is NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) being dragged into the Russia-Ukraine invasion?

• Nato is a defensive alliance with an open-door policy to new members, and its 30 members states are adamant that it will not change.
• There is no prospect of Ukraine joining for a long time, as Germany's chancellor has made clear.
• But the idea that any current Nato country would give up its membership is a non-starter.
• Several nations, including the U.S., UK, France, Canada and Germany, are member countries of Nato and are imposing strict sanctions against Russia.
• There will be a redline for Nato if Russia tries to go against any of its member nations.
• As per Article 5 of Nato, "Nato has to protect its member nation, if any of its member nations face any of the threat." but Ukraine is not yet a member of Nato.

• What does President Putin want?

President Putin partly blamed his decision to attack on Nato's eastward expansion. He earlier complained Russia had "nowhere further to retreat to do they think we'll just sit idly by?"

As per experts, Putin will not be going to attack Nato or any other nation, and he just wanted to make Ukraine a 'Vassal State', which means a nation that has the freedom to take decisions in its internal matters, but some other country controls its foreign policies, and in a way, that country dominates there.

Are there chances of World War III?

The question always arose whether the world would witness World War III. The talks have been going on since the day Russia calls the invasion of Ukraine, and western nations are imposing sanctions on Russia.

A few days back, U.S. President Joe Biden has made a statement that if Russia and the U.S. call for war on each other, it is supposed that World War III has started.

So the U.S. has ensured that they are not going to send any troops to Ukraine. But, Western nations are fearing that Russia could call for a more worse invasion of Ukraine.

All of the nations are known for "The reaction for this action."