On Feb. 24, the Russian military launched a full scale invasion in Ukraine. As this news broke worldwide, fear broke with it. Questions surfaced and confusion spread, especially among the youth. In an attempt to make this news a bit more understandable, here are some quick answers to some of the most popular questions being asked. 

1. Why is Russia invading Ukraine? 

The Soviet Union was founded Dec. 30, 1922 and comprised of many Slavic countries, including Ukraine. On Aug. 24, 1991, months before the entire Union fell, Ukraine established itself as an independent nation. Ukraine’s continued growth as a nation since 1991 has made Russia uneasy for the past couple of years. Russian President Vladimir Putin has gone on the record to state that Russia was unable to feel safe due to the looming possibility of a Ukrainian led invasion. Russia’s concerns have grown from a history of being invaded, from Napoleon in the early 19th century, to both German invasions in WWI and WWII. 

Alongside fear, Russian motivation may come from the economic gain that could stem from the annexation of Ukraine. Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe and has a population of over 40 million. Ukraine ranks in one of the topmost nations of the world when it comes to mineral resources, as well as having prominent nuclear power plants and the world’s fourth largest natural gas pipeline. The annexation of Ukraine into Russia would bring economic prosperity, as well as quell any supposed fears of invasion held by the Russian government. 

1. Will the United States send troops to Ukraine? 

When warfare first broke out, one of the most popular questions was whether or not the United States was going to enter another war. But since the initial and continued invasion, there has been no declaration of war from United States President Joe Biden or any announcement of aid being sent to the country. One of the most important reasons behind this is the fact that Ukraine does not belong to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). NATO protects member nations by creating an alliance in which fellow nations are obligated to send aid to any member nation in peril. The United States, along with other members of NATO, have denied sending any military aid to Ukraine due to the fact that they are not a part of the NATO alliance. The United States has declared that they will continue to find other ways to assist Ukraine and that the nation does stand with Ukrainian people.

1. Will Russia invade other countries too?

The answer to this question is unknown to the world. Russia has not made any direct threats to other nations, especially those bordering Ukraine, nor have they sent troops to the borders of any other nations besides Ukraine. As of now, it seems the only direct threat to be concerned with is that in Ukraine. 

Negotiations between Ukrainian President Zelensky and President Putin were said to have occurred on the Belarusian border on Feb. 28. On Mar. 2, the United Nations voted 141-5 condemning the Russian invasion as it continues. Some Ukrainian people have fled the country, but many still remain and are fearful of their surrounding situation. Innocent Ukrainian citizens are being put in danger by the continued invasion of the Russian military. As the Ukrainian army fights for their independence, the world watches on in hope for a quick end to the destruction occurring.