By Lev D. Zilbermints
As the Ukraine – Russia war drags on, people worldwide are wondering: Why is Russia invading Ukraine? The answer to that is complex and has many facets. There are historical reasons, nationalistic reasons, military and psychological reasons for the invasion. These will be covered in the article.
History
From a historical perspective, the old Russian state, Kievan Rus, originated in Ukraine. The semi-legendary Varangian Prince Rurik came to Russia in the ninth century. His descendants made Kiev the capital of Kievan Rus between the 10th – 13th centuries. During that time, Kiev was the most powerful city. The grand prince held his seat in Kiev. The city was a commercial, religious, military and economic center. It was here that Grand Prince Vladimir underwent conversion to Christianity in the year 988. Yaroslav the Wise (980-1015) ruled during the Golden Age of Kievan Rus.
After the decline and fragmentation of Kievan Rus in the 13th century, Ukraine came under foreign domination by the Mongols, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Poland, Ottoman Empire, Crimean Khanate, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Russian Empire. In short, this domination lasted from about 1228 – 1917. After the Russian Revolutions of 1917, Ukraine tried to declare itself independent, but failed.
Between 1917 – 1922, civil war raged in Russia. In Ukraine, the White Army, Red Army, Makhno’s (anarchist) Black army, Polish Army, German Army, and various atamans (leaders of Cossacks) fought for control. The Ukrainian People’s Republic was declared in 1917, but was short-lived. By 1921, Soviet Russia had taken over much of Ukraine. Western Ukraine was taken by the Second Polish Republic. Romania and Czechoslovakia also took parts of Ukraine.
In 1932-1933, the Great Famine or Holodomor, hit Ukraine. This was a time when Joseph Stalin was imposing collectivization on the entire Soviet Union. The Ukrainian peasantry, hard-working and independent, did not want to participate in collectivization. So what Stalin did, he sent troops of internal police, the NKVD, to forcibly requisition grain from the peasants. All grain, even those set aside for planting harvests, was taken. The peasants were left with nothing for their families. Millions starved to death. Entire villages were wiped out. People ate grass, roots, tree bark. There were cases of cannibalism.
During World War II, Ukraine saw much fighting between Germany and Soviet Russia. Some Ukrainians collaborated with the Nazis, while others fought for Soviet Russia.
Post WWII, Ukraine had representation at the highest level in the Soviet Union. Both Nikita Khruschev and his successor, Leonid Brezhnev, were from Ukraine.
Ukraine declared independence again on August 24, 1991, after the coup against Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev failed. In December 1991, Leonid Kravchuk, the first Ukrainian President, signed the Belavezha Accords, dissolving the Soviet Union. Russian President Boris Yelstin also signed.
Economic Viewpoint
From an economic point of view, Russia wants to occupy Ukraine because it is the granary of Europe. During the Czarist and Soviet periods, Ukraine was one of the world’s largest exporters of grain. Thus, access to Ukrainian grain is very important for Russia. According to the World Trade Organization, Ukraine has the 40th largest economy in the world by purchasing power parity (PPP). According to the International Monetary Fund, Ukraine’s GDP (gross domestic product) per capita is $14,416 as of April 2021.
According to the State Statistics Service of Ukraine for 2019, the country also has cement industry; production of reinforced concrete products; production of wall materials; glass industry and porcelain and faience industry. There is also an automotive industry in Kremenchug and Lutsk. Thus, from an economic point of view, Putin needs Ukraine in part for her resources.
Military
Putin has occupied Crimea because it allows easy access to the Black Sea, Dardanelles and the Bosphorus Straits. Now, Crimea has only been Ukrainian since 1954. At that time, Nikita Khruschev, the leader of the Soviet Union, transferred Crimea to Ukraine. Prior to 1954, Crimea had a colorful history. Up until 1783, Crimea used to be ruled by a khan from the Giray Dynasty. In 1783, Empress Catherine II annexed Crimea to Russia. That said, according to international law, since 1954 Crimea belongs to Ukraine.
Since Ukraine borders Poland, Romania, Belarus, Slovakia, Hungary and Moldova, it presents a strategic asset. If Putin were to go nuts and invade other countries, he would use Ukraine as a springboard. The Black and Azov seas are important for Russian ships.
Psychology
Ukraine is also one country that has resisted Putin’s attempts to integrate it into his “New USSR.” It is widely known that Putin sees the dissolution of the Soviet Union as the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the twentieth century. Vladimir Putin dreams of bringing back the Soviet Union as it used to be. So far he has brought Belarus into the fold and a few other republics. However, Putin did not consider the overwhelming desire of Ukrainian people to be independent. Ukrainians had enough of the Soviet Union. They want to be masters of their own destiny, whatever it may be.
From Putin’s viewpoint, Ukraine, formerly called Malorossia, or Little Russia, has dared to say no. Like Poland in 1939, Ukraine said no to a bloody dictator and was invaded. The brave Polish Army resisted both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union for a month before yielding to overwhelming odds. Warsaw, the capital, and other Polish cities, were incessantly bombed.
We are seeing a repeat of what happened at the beginning of the Second World War. Russia is using the same tactics as Nazi Germany did. Cities were surrounded, then bombed into submission. However, unlike in 1939, the entire world has united to help Ukraine. Russia is undergoing sanctions that Nazi Germany never had to deal with. The world is much more integrated and united in 2022 than in 1939.
Russia is invading Ukraine for a variety of reasons. However, the foremost reason is to force Ukraine to rejoin the “New USSR” that Putin has in mind. Vladimir Putin sees himself as a sort of the restorer of the Soviet Union, by force if necessary. He does not understand that history is against him, that the days of communism are long past. But what can the world expect from a dictator who has isolated himself, and is not listening to the advice of smart people? Hitler shot himself in April 1945. Only time will tell what fate ultimately awaits the former KGB Lieutenant Colonel Vladimir Putin, current President of Russia.
