The Russian Federation is all set to annex Ukrainian territory where it has strong military control. This decision taken by Putin is in response to the recently held referendums which supported and endorsed the rule of Moscow. The Russian administration and military commanders in these regions have requested Putin to incorporate and integrate these areas into Russia. According to the Russian election officials, 93 per cent of ballots in Zaporizhzhia supported annexation. Similar results were seen in the Luhansk, Donetsk, and Kherson regions.
However, international organisations such as United Nations and the US government, in particular, consider these activities “meaningless”. The West views this strategy as a means of legitimising Its aggression in Ukraine. The American ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas Greenfield, that Washington will pass a resolution that will condemn this “Sham Vote”.
This resolution has urged fellow members not to recognise this referendum and also to put pressure on Russia to withdraw its military from Ukraine. As per Joseph Borrell, the foreign policy chief of the European Union (EU), Russia’s actions are falsified and illegal. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry in Kyiv stated that these actions are null and worthless. As per an additional statement from the ministry, forcing people to vote at gunpoint or a barrel is another heinous crime which Russia is planning to execute.
The European Union has been outraged by Russian actions and it suspects sabotage of two underwater gas pipelines that run from Russia (Nord Stream) to Germany. Borrell has warned Russia that any attack on the energy security of Europe will not be tolerated. A spokesperson from Kremlin, called Peskov said that these allegations are “predictable and stupid”. The damage caused to the gas pipelines is sure to affect European countries at the onset of winter. The Russia-Ukraine War which began on the 24th of February 2022, has created an energy standoff. Many European nations are heavily dependent on gas transported from Russia.
In the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, Russia has frequently used non-state actors such as terrorists, irregulars and prison convicts on the frontline. Examples include Chechen Rebels from Dagestan. The 1st Tank Regiment of the 2nd Motorised Rifle Division is being reinforced by these auxiliary troops. It can be said that the Russian Military is putting up a stout defence and has faced some humiliating defeats at the hands of the Ukrainian Counteroffensive.
Nevertheless, Russia is using artillery and rockets to bomb Ukraine’s city of Nikopol which has resulted in 10 High rise and private buildings being hit. Power lines and schools have been targeted too.
To conclude, many analysts and experts in the field of World Affairs and Defence have stated that Russia is an isolated nation in Europe. They have quoted several statements regarding Russia, the most famous of which is that “the only friends Russia has been its army and navy”. It has used hard power and forceful coercive tactics in the annexation of Crimea (2014) and Sevastopol and Ukraine. Russia is not a part of any major world military alliances, especially after the fall of the Warsaw Pact and the subsequent disintegration of the former USSR.
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