WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2014

Op-Ed

OPINION
Russia Strategizes Using Crimea
Opinion Writer: Erin Pembroke __________________________________ ____________ Some people compare Putins mission of acquiring Crimea as repeating the Cold War all over again or being in a similar situation as that of the Cold War, that may be true in my opinion but rather than addressing such a simplistic notion, I believe that there could be a bigger issue and strategy at hand. ost !mericans do not understand the importance or role of Crimea "because it is a small country that most over#loo$% is playing in &ussias acquisition and 'ould probably simply agree to allo' Putin to ta$e or anne( Crimea to &ussia. Since Crimea is over#loo$ed and superficially vie'ed as not important to most, it is Putins perfect covert strategy to acquire the country for its oil and hydrocarbon. Putin used the reason as )protecting* &ussian ethnicity and culture to invade and ta$e Crimea but the reason does not suffice nor hold up in any logical manner. ! more valid reason 'hy Putin 'ants to anne( Crimea is for its oil and hydrocarbon. +rom a strategical and tactical aspect, Crimea has a lot of oil in the city of ,ovorossiys$ and at a port called Sevastopol. Crimea also has a lot of oil under the -lac$ Sea close to its land thus. Putin can drill under the sea as 'ell in order to gain more profit by companies such as /((on# obil. 0e 'ill then control most of this ne' oil and place trading sanctions on it. 0e 'ill not only monopoli1e on the hydrocarbon and oil, but he and &ussia 'ill become a monopoly 'ith the only abundant accessible oil as oil in the iddle /ast and Siberia eventually run out. ,e(t, as trading oil 'ith &ussia increases, so does &ussias 'ealth. 2his increase in 'ealth, may threaten the status of the 3.S. as a 'orld po'er because &ussia 'ill not only have its huge land mass but no', its 'ealth to control /urope and the rest of the 'orld as a ne' and sole supreme 'orld po'er unless Chinas 'ealth surpass &ussias o'n. If &ussia becomes a sole 'orld po'er, it 'ill also hold a ma4ority or heavily 'eighed right of the po'er to veto in the ,ational Security 'ithin the 3nited ,ations. !t the moment, &ussia did veto a resolution to the conflict of obtaining Crimea at the 3nited ,ations Security Council. If the 3nited States does not act no', not only 'ill the 3.S. appear 'ea$ to &ussia and the rest of the 'orld, but &ussia 'ill then begin doing 'hat it 'ants or feels li$e doing by using its o'n personal agenda to triumph over the masses as it asserts its po'er to see ho' far it can go 'ithout being stopped.