Since February 20, 2014, there has been much ongoing tension between Russia and Ukraine, which has now escalated into full-scale conflict between the two nations.Vladimir Putin has invaded Ukraine, which could possibly lead to World War 3. Vladimir Putin is known for being quite stubborn, so why is this happening, what will happen if World War 3 starts, and what should we do? 

Ukraine is a smaller-sized country between Europe and Russia. Ukraine was a segment of the Soviet Union until 1991. Since then, it has been an imperfect democracy with an extremely sluggish economy. This all began as an internal problem within Ukraine in November 2013. 

Then-President Viktor Yanukovych vetoed an accord for better integration with the European Union, triggering mass protests. Yanukovych tried to put down said riots with extreme violence. Russia initially backed Yanukovych in this crisis, while the United States and Europe supported Ukrainian protesters. 

In February 2014, anti-government protests overturned the government, running Yanukovych out of the country. Russia tried to salvage its control of Ukraine by invading and annexing Crimea the next month. Crimea is a region in Ukraine that’s under extremely hostile Russian surveillance. In April 2014 separatist rebels for Russia began taking the territory in eastern Ukraine. 

Fighting between the rebels and the Ukrainian military worsened. In August 2014 the Russian military annexed eastern Ukraine. This brought the relationship between the West and Russia to its lowest point since the Cold War. Sanctions pushed the Russian economy to the brink of a recession. 

Since 2014, this crisis has only worsened. On January 31, 2022, Russia said they are prepared to risk economic harm through any means possible to achieve its objectives over Ukraine. Moscow has denied any thought of invading Ukraine, despite having about 100,000 troops around the border.

On February 2, 2022, The United States approved a ploy to advance more troops into Europe. Russia has publicly blasted the United States’ decision to move forces into Eastern Europe, warning it could complicate diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis. Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko says, “These unjustified, destructive steps increase military tensions and narrow the space for political solutions.”

President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron spoke over Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders. The White House said, “[The leaders] affirmed their support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and reviewed our ongoing coordination on both diplomacy and preparations to impose swift and severe economic costs on Russia should it further invade Ukraine.”

Olaf Scholz, chancellor of Germany, has also met with Putin in Moscow over tensions in Ukraine.

Boris Johnson, the United Kingdom Prime Minister, says he and Putin discussed finding a peaceful solution. “The leaders agreed that aggravation was in no one’s interest,” says Johnsen. 

Putin and Chinese leader, Xi Jinping plan to make a divulgence proclaiming a “new era” for global relations. Beijing supports Moscow’s command for security; Xi called Putin an “old friend” when they spoke in December. 

With all of this, many people are theorizing that World War 3 may start, and they’re not alone.

With all this said, what should we do? First, we need to prepare ourselves, more specifically, the military, for the potential fallout. Joe Biden said, “The United States is engaged in a non-stop diplomacy, we are ready no matter what happens.” Now that something has happened, readiness is all that matters. We cannot let there be more casualties from an already horrific crisis. 

We also need to help prepare Ukraine. Not only is Ukraine not protected under the Northern Atlantic Treaty, but we are also the nation’s allies. We cannot throw a country under the bus that has helped us.

This is a serious threat to the world as we know it. Not only could this result in millions of casualties and strained relationships between countries that once were allies, but it could also result in the next world catastrophe. If we don’t do something soon, it will result in the existential doom of the world.