Russia and Ukraine have had no formal diplomatic relations since February 24, 2022. The Russian Federation and Ukraine are currently in a state of war: the Russia-Ukraine War began in 2014 following the Russian annexation of Crimea from Ukraine.
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By air and sea, Russia has launched a devastating attack on Ukraine, a European democracy of 44 million people. Its forces are bombing city centres and closing in on the capital, Kyiv, prompting a mass exodus of refugees.
What is the issue between Ukraine and Russia?
The crisis is centred in part on land borders and strategic influence. Moscow sees Ukraine as an important Buffer against NATO. But Ukraine sees Russia as an aggressor that, even prior to this week’s invasion, had already occupied pats of Ukrainian territory.
Separatists and Donetsk and Luhansk, backed by Russia, have been fighting Ukrainian government forces since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and supported the establishment of separatist enclaves in the Eastern part of the country.
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Why Does Putin Care Whether Ukraine Joins NATO
NATO was founded in 1949 to protect against Soviet aggression. The alliance has since expanded to 30 counties, including the former Soviet republics of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia. The treaty states that if one nation is invaded or attacked by a third party, all nations in NATO will collectively mobilise in their defence.
The Kremlin is demanding guarantees from NATO that Ukraine and Georgia another former Soviet republic that Russia briefly invaded in 2008- will not join the alliance. The Biden administration and NATO allies say Putin cannot dent Ukraine right, but nothing is in the works to grant the country membership anytime soon.
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