Article website: http://news.yahoo.com/gunbattle-eastern-ukraine-kills-four-062959391.html
Picture Website: http://www.dw.de/deadly-shootout-reported-in-eastern-ukraine/a-17579795
On April 20, 2014, a gunfight broke out in Slavyansk, Ukraine, shattering a truce that had been declared due to Easter. This shootout claimed the lives of three pro-Russian militants and their attacker; Russia has declared that it is "outraged" by this violence that has destroyed the fragile truce. The identities of those who attacked the militants remain unknown, but there were about twenty of them, and they were said to have attacked the militants while they were conducting a check on a roadblock at around 1 a.m. The last time a shootout such as this one occurred was on Thursday, when Ukrainian soldiers killed three pro-Russian militants as they tried to attack a military base in the southeast port city of Mariupol. On that same Thursday, Ukraine, Russia, the United States, and the European Union signed an accord in Geneva that called for "illegal armed groups" to end their occupation of public sites and to lay down their arms. Now Russia is blaming the Right Sector, an extreme-right group, for the violence that took place on Sunday; however, a Right Sector spokesperson in Kiev has claimed that the charges against them are false, going so far as to accuse Moscow of orchestrating the violence in an attempt to make it seem that Kiev has lost control of the east. The U.S. has threatened to place more sanctions on Moscow if there is no de-escalation, and President Obama is preparing to send ground troops to Poland. This, coupled with the tens of thousands of Russian troops massed on the eastern border of Ukraine, makes it seem that war is coming, and quite soon at that. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) is working to monitor the Geneva accord, and it is preparing to send a high-ranking team to east Ukraine. At this point, Pope Francis has called for an end to the violence, and Washington has warned Moscow that Ukraine is currently in a "pivotal period," but tensions remain high. Do you think the U.S. should place more sanctions on Moscow? Also, do you think that we should continue to intervene in this conflict, or should we take a step back and let them sort it out themselves?
2 comments:
Great update, Alex. I think that the most obvious answer to your question would be for the United States to pull out from foreign affairs. That's certainly the common sentiment held by Yahoo news users in article comments. In some respects, its understandable that the average American citizen has little to gain with a heavy-handed American approach. It risks potentially grave consequences such as troops on the ground, economic losses from reduced trade, and an America tied up with another overseas conflict.
However, the question is not so much whether the United States should remain or increase involvement, but rather, whether it can afford to abstain from action.
The most powerful deterrent to Russian invasion is American and NATO resistance. In a nuclear age, the world cannot exist with a United States and Russia at war. Mutually-assured destruction ensures this. A weak and fragmented Ukraine stands no chance against its ambitious and schizophrenic neighbor to the east. The mere act of American involvement is likely the foundation of the retaining wall holding back a salivating Putin. Yes, the EU has power, but let's be real here. They depend on Russian energy for survival and would face an energy and economic crisis if war erupted and supplies were cut off. Russia knows this. The most formidable way to halt Russian empire-building is continued and unwavering American involvement.
You make a very good point, Brandon, and I think that you've basically pointed out why we're in such a fix at the moment. On one hand, if we continue to intervene in foreign affairs, it will lead other countries to believe that we are imposing ourselves on other nations. However, at the moment, if we stand down, it could clear the path for Russia to invade Ukraine. I believe that, at this point, we might have to stay involved in order to keep the invasion from becoming a harsh reality. I also think that we need to impose harsher sanctions on Russia. It may not cause them to stop immediately, and we might increase tensions by doing so, but at this point, since (as you pointed out) the EU cannot do anything since they are dependent on Russian energy, we need to find a way to keep Russia from invading, and since we cannot risk violence, I feel that sanctions could be helpful in the long run.
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