On Feb. 24, 2022, Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia, declared war on Ukraine. The reason for the invasion into Ukraine is currently unknown to the public and only assumptions with little factual backup have been created. 

Russia and Ukraine have been very closely linked since the 19th Century because they share  closely related languages, and both populations share family members on the other side of the borders.  Since the break of the Soviet Union in 1991 when the Cold War ended, the two countries remained close through the 2000s. Then they began to drift from each other and became independent just as many other countries had in 1991. 

Recently, Ukraine has shown interest in joining NATO and has been cordial toward countries such as the U.S. and Canada, both a part of NATO. This is what plays into one of the assumptions that Putin may see Ukraine’s close relations with other countries as a threat, being that he does not maintain the same control that he used to. 

“Some experts say that Putin is doing this because he wants Russia to regain the power that it once had,” said Jen Kirby and Jonathan Guyer from Vox.  

Though it is still shocking and devastating to the whole world, this invasion in some form had been speculated. In months prior to declaring war, Putin has deployed 150,000 troops around it’s borders and placed security bans for countries like the U.S. and Canada. 

Since declaring war on Ukraine, Russia has invaded many cities with Russian missiles and shells. They have also attempted to get into Kyiv, the Capital of Ukraine, but that attempt has been unsuccessful so far. President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky is fighting with his country’s troops to stand against Russia. In hopes of finding safety and security, some of the Ukrainian population has begun to flee to nearby countries. 

“More than 160,000 people have reportedly been displaced within the country and over 520,000 have been forced to flee across borders–into neighboring Moldova, Poland and other European states,” according to The International Rescue Committee. 

In Russia, a large population of their citizens are protesting against Putin’s declaration of war. The majority of the anti-war protesters have been arrested or silenced. 

“‘I have two sons, and I don’t want to give them to that bloody monster. War is a tragedy for all of us,’ 48-year-old Dmitry Maltsev, who joined the rally in St. Petersburg, told The Associated Press,” according to Time Magazine. 

Worldwide, we can choose to educate ourselves the best we can and show support toward Ukraine in any way possible.