What’s behind the Russian invasion of Ukraine ?

Russia attacked Ukraine because of its craving for power, dominance, and authority. President Vladimir Putin does not fully accept Ukraine as an independent country. He has even commented that Ukraine belongs to Russia and that its sovereignty was a mistake. He would like to annex it back into Russian authority.

One of the main reasons for invading was the threat that NATO, a group of countries (like the U.S. and most of Europe) that work together for defense, poses to Russia. Ukraine was progressing towards joining NATO, and Russia was afraid of this. If Ukraine joined, NATO would be able to place weapons and military bases along Russia's borders, which Putin did not wish to occur.

A second cause is land. In 2014, Russia invaded Crimea, a peninsula in southern Ukraine, and helped rebels take over parts of eastern Ukraine (Donetsk and Luhansk). When the Russians invaded in 2022, Putin said that he was defending Russian-speaking people in the regions. Yet, most perceived this as a pretext to take more land and power.

Putin also doesn't appreciate the fact that Ukraine was becoming more autonomous and closely aligning with Europe. Putin wants to keep Ukraine weak so that it won't completely drift away from Russia's influence.

There are economic reasons also. Ukraine has a lot of valuable natural resources, including wheat, coal, and gas. It is also a vital transit path for Russian exports of gas to Europe, which Russia makes a lot of money from. By controlling Ukraine, Russia can protect those interests.

Others think Putin invaded to stay popular in Russia. His government has been protested against, and the economy has deteriorated. By depicting Ukraine as an enemy, he may deflect Russians' attention from these factors and portray himself as a strong leader.

But the invasion has not gone as well for Putin. Instead of extending his authority, Russia has had huge economic sanctions, lost thousands of soldiers, and battled Ukrainian stubborn resistance. Guns and supplies have been exported by many countries into Ukraine, and instead of making NATO weak, it's only grown stronger—with Finland and Sweden joining in to repel Russia.