Dalida 1

Vincel Dalida

Professor Vyvial, Keith

217FA-ENGL-1301-THS1

December 6, 2017

War of Tridents and Bears (REVISED)

Ukraine was a former state of the USSR, as it gained its independence in 1991. Since

then, there was an uprising in 2013 for a more western Ukraine, called the Maidan Revolution,

that led to the ousting of the pro-Russian, former president Viktor Yanukovych from office. Up

to this day, Ukraine has been fighting a war in its eastern region of Donbas against separatists

and allegedly, the Russian military. This is currently the latest war in Europe since the Yugoslav

Civil War and Kosovo Conflicts of the late 1990s. The war in Ukraine is of major importance as

this is its fourth year, and there are still disputes about whether Russia is involved or not.

Several events led to the war in Ukraine (Ukraine Timeline Crisis). Right after the

Maidan Revolution was Russias invasion and acquisition of Ukraines Crimea Peninsula. On

February 27, 2014, Russian troops without insignias took over key parts of Crimea, such as the

capital city of Simferopol and besieged Ukrainian military bases and ports. Pro-Ukraine and pro-

Russia demonstrators clashed in the citys square as a forced vote for an independence

referendum was held by the Russian military. The results showed a majority in favor of

independence. On March 18, the Republic of Crimea was voted by the Russian State Duma to

become a federal subject of Russia. As a result of Crimeas acquisition, pro-Russian

demonstrations began to prop up in Ukraines most eastern oblasts (provinces) of Donetsk and

Lugansk. Russia has a strong, ethnical influence in Donetsk and Lugansk, since these oblasts are

located along the border. The separatists claimed their territories as Novorossiya (New Russia) or
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Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics. Unmarked and armed militants, but not in the same

uniforms as the Russians in Crimea, began to take over local government buildings, raided

military bases and old Soviet depots. As the separatists took up arms with the help of a foreign

country, the acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov declared Anti-Terror Operations

in the oblasts to stop repeating events and begun mobilization of the Ukrainian Military. Since

then, there have been already two attempts at peace by the international community, the Minsk I

(September 5, 2014, failed) and currently the Minsk II (February 12, 2015) Accords. Yet, there

has been trouble enforcing the Minsk II Accords as there are still skirmishes along the contact

line, and casualties reported by the Ukrainian military remain small but constant every day.

Russia continues to violate Ukraines sovereignty by allegedly supplying weapons and

troops to the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk Peoples Republics, which the Russian

government has denied having part in. Allegedly, Russia wants to keep Ukraine destabilized so it

may lessen Ukraines chances of joining the EU and NATO (Czuperski et al., Hiding in Plain

Sight). There are doubts about Putins claims of having no part in Ukraines war, as evidence

mounts up of Russias involvement. Weapon systems made and used only by Russia have been

found in the hands of the separatists: BTR-82 APCs, T-72B3 MBTs, 9M133 Kornet ATGMs,

KSVK Anti-Material Rifles, Pantsir-S1 Medium SAMs (Czuperski et al.). As for evidence of

finding Russian servicemen fighting in Ukraine, former vice news journalist Simon Ostrovsky

has made a documentary, called Selfie Soldiers, about active-duty Russian soldiers posting geo-

tagged pictures of their time in Ukraines conflict areas (Ostrovsky, Selfie Soldiers). In his

documentary, Mr. Ostrovsky tracks the photos of one Russian soldier back to the places they

were taken in Ukraine, and goes even further to track down where he and his family lives, all

because of how much info Russian soldiers put online without discretion. Furthermore, there was
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an incident in August 2014, as ten Russian paratroopers were spotted crossing from the Russian

border, about ten miles into Ukraine, and were captured at the city of Dzerkalne, just south-east

of Donetsk. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed they were supposed to simply patrol a

section of the Russian-Ukrainian border in to which they crossedby accident on an

unmarked section (Captured Russian Troops). They were later returned during a prisoner

exchange. Those who believe Russia is involved present a great deal of evidence, that does prove

Russias involvement in Ukraine, but they are not officially involved until the Russian

government announces otherwise.

However, the Russian government dismisses accusations of their alleged involvement in

Ukraines conflict. On the contrary, the Russian government claims the war was truly caused by

the Wests push for a more European Ukraine; that was the Maidan Revolution, which led to the

sudden and illegal change of the democratically elected Yanukovych and the government under

his administration. On December 13, 2013, U.S. Senator John McCain visited the Maidan

Revolution in Kyiv Square, shaking hands with the protestors and expressing support for their

cause: Ukraine will make Europe better and Europe will make Ukraine better (John McCain:

'We Are Here). Also, during the Maidan Revolution, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State

Victoria Nuland and the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine have been spotted handing out buns and

cookies to the Ukrainian protestors (US Nuland Treating Ukrainian Protestors). This has

been a cause for concern for the Russian government, as they claim the U.S. attempts to

destabilize their neighboring countries, so the West could then blame Russia in wanting to

recreate the USSR. They reference the U.S.s wars in the Middle East as an example of their

meddling and what it ultimately results in - destabilization. As for the Russian citizens who are

embedded with the separatists, the Russian government claims they are acting on their own
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accord, as they are either retired military personnel or concerned citizens who are wanting to

protect the oppressed Russian minorities of a brother state (Tsvetkova, Russian Fighters).

Though these are Russian citizens taking arms against another country, the Russian government

is not liable for their citizens thoughts and actions since they are not active-duty, military nor

government assets. The Russian government may defend itself against the allegations of their

involvement, shifting blame toward the U.S., as evidence shows otherwise.

Responsibility of the conflict may lay on either Russia, the U.S., or even Ukraine.

However, this conflict did not spring out of nowhere, as it has been a result of pressurizing

tensions between the East and West since the Cold War. Possible to be proven, most of the

worlds recent conflicts are mostly proxy wars between the US and Russia, and on an unrelated

note, Saudi Arabia and Iran. Evidence of Russian weapons and troops within Donetsk and

Lugansk may prove Russias involvement, but ultimately, it is up to the international community

to punish Russia more for their involvement in Ukraine and to enforce the Minsk II Accords

without sparking WWIII, because Ukraines war is still ongoing for its fourth year, and with no

clear end in sight.

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Works Cited

Captured Russian Troops 'in Ukraine by Accident'. BBC News, British Broadcasting

Corporation, 26 Aug. 2014, www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28934213. Accessed 23

October 2017.

Czuperski, Maksymilian, et al. Hiding in Plain Sight: Putin's War in Ukraine. Atlantic Council,

15 Oct. 2015, www.atlanticcouncil.org/publications/reports/hiding-in-plain-sight-putin-s-

war-in-ukraine-and-boris-nemtsov-s-putin-war. Accessed 23 October 2017.

John McCain Tells Ukraine Protesters: 'We Are Here to Support Your Just Cause'. The

Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 15 Dec. 2013,

www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/15/john-mccain-ukraine-protests-support-just-

cause. Accessed 24 October 2017.

Ostrovsky, Simon, director. Selfie Soldiers: Russia Checks in to Ukraine. YouTube, Vice News,

16 June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zssIFN2mso. Accessed 23 October 2017.

The Ukraine Crisis Timeline. CSIS Russia and Eurasia Program, Center for Strategic &

International Studies, ukraine.csis.org/. Accessed 21 October 2017.

Tsvetkova, Maria. Special Report: Russian Fighters, Caught in Ukraine, Cast Adrift by

Moscow. Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 29 May 2015, www.reuters.com/article/us-

ukraine-crisis-captured-specialreport/special-report-russian-fighters-caught-in-ukraine-

cast-adrift-by-moscow-idUSKBN0OE0YE20150529. Accessed 23 October 2017.

US' Nuland Treating Ukrainian Protesters to Cookies on Maidan. The Voice of Russia,

Sputnik News Agency and Radio, 11 Dec. 2013,

sputniknews.com/voiceofrussia/news/2013_12_11/US-s-Nuland-treating-Ukrainian-

protesters-to-cookies-on-Maidan-1129/. Accessed 24 October 2017.