Russian forces are massed on the border of Ukraine, and what Putin wants may be a price too high
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To say that Russia is threatening to invade Ukraine is avoiding the obvious: That already happened. But on Tuesday, President Joe Biden will hold a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to halt the Russian dictator’s growinRussian forces are massed on the border of Ukraine, and what Putin wants may be a price too high
To say that Russia is threatening to invade Ukraine is avoiding the obvious: That already happened. But on Tuesday, President Joe Biden will hold a video call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in an effort to halt the Russian dictator’s growing thirst for restoring the Soviet empire. Over the last few weeks, Russia has moved thousands of troops to its border with Ukraine, along with tanks, armored transports, short-range missile forces, and support aircraft. As of last week, the total number of Russian troops gathered along the border was estimated to top 175,000. A full bore invasion of Ukraine certainly looks possible, with Putin said to be weighing the costs of reprisals against the value of natural resources and access that would come with occupying Ukraine. Not only would the capture of Ukraine give Putin access to natural gas, oil, titanium, and a great deal of arable land, it would again place Russian forces on the borders of European nations from Poland to Romania. This is certainly not the first time Russian forces have appeared to be mounting an invasion of Ukraine. Other buildups of forces near the border have happened at least twice in the last six years. But the scope of preparations at this point seems particularly serious, making the outcome of Tuesday’s call with President Biden potentially critical in staving off the largest military invasion in Europe since World War II. That call was underway as this article was being prepared. Read more
