Russia has recently been reasserting its former influence over the Ukraine. Beginning in 2014, Russia invaded the Crimean peninsula in Southern Ukraine in an unofficial annexation of the pro-Russian peninsula. This is not the first time that Crimea has seen conflict, from the Crimean War to this most recent conflict. In a move oddly reminiscent of the Cold War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia seeks to regain its political control over the Ukraine, by force if necessary.
Tension between the Ukraine and Russia began in 2013, but conflict did not break out until 2014. In order to understand the nature of the conflict, one must grasp the political nature of Ukraine. In 2013, Ukraine's unpopular president, Viktor Yanukovych, was widely considered to be easily manipulated by the Russian government. Ukraine itself is divided between pro-Europeans and pro-Russians. Prior to the conflict, in 2013, President Yanukovych was flirting with the idea of a trade deal with the European Union, but the he suspended talks due to Russia's opposition. The decision sparked protests among the pro-Europeans (who are mainly Western Ukraine). In 2014, after an altercation at Kiev's Maidan Square between protestors and police, the Ukrainian president fled the city. Following this event, on March 1, 2014, the Russian parliament authorized Vladimir Putin's decision to send Russian troops into Crimea, which historically consists of Ukranians who are pro-Russian. Two weeks later, Russia annexed Crimea, although the annexation is unrecognized by most countries. Following this annexation, pro-Russian rebels took control of parts of eastern Ukraine and the eastern regions of Donetsk and Luhansk claimed to be independent of Ukraine (although this is also largely unrecognized), prompting the Ukrainian government to launch attacks against the rebels. In May of 2014, Petro Poroshenko became the new Ukrainian president. A ceasefire was brokered between Russia and Ukraine later that year, but violations occur often.
By March 3, 2016, at least 9,500 people had been killed in the conflict and 22,100 injured. The ceasefire continues to be violated to this day. Tensions are still high, despite the slight lull in 2015, and seem to be increasing. In early August, a United Nations' investigation showed an increase in civilian casualties. The most recent occurrence in the conflict occurred on August 11, when Ukraine put their troops on alert in case of a Russian attack.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia seems to parallel the Soviet Union's attempts to maintain control of its satellite states during its collapse. As in the past, Russia found itself unable to manipulate the Ukrainian government because pro-European sentiment had gained popularity, so it sent troops to forcibly quell the uprisings. East versus West sentiment is a prime factor in the Crimean conflict, just as it was during the Cold War. Ukraine's pro-European West is in conflict with its pro-Russian East. The influence of western countries is evident in this conflict, just as it was during the Cold War. France and Germany brokered the current, but often ineffectual, truce between Russia and Ukraine. The United States even suggested that it would provide aid to Ukraine if a truce was not reached. All of these events are similar to those that occurred during the Cold War.
The tension between Ukraine and Russia over East-West relations and Russian influence over country resulted in a conflict that oddly paralleled those of the Cold War. With this parallel, one has to wonder: Is this conflict a continuation of Cold War hostility or a remnant? Will this prompt further altercations between Russia and the West in the future?
