A Break Down of the Russo-Ukrainian War, and How We Can Help.

Fear, anger and sorrow have once again entered the community, this time in the form of a war happening between Russia and Ukraine. By now, this information will come as no surprise; news and social media have been drenched with videos of the violence breaking out across Eastern Europe for weeks, undeniably tearing everyone’s hearts into pieces and leaving us all feeling lost with how to help.

24 February saw the launch of the military attack on Ukraine, an action that has been brewing since 2014.

The conflict began when pro-Russia Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych rejected a Ukrainian-European Association Agreement in 2014, causing his people to revolt and ultimately remove him from office.

Since then, President Putin has accused Ukraine of being usurped by extremists.

Russia quickly retaliated to Ukraine’s revolution by seizing the southern region of Crimea, which triggered another rebellion across Ukraine and other European countries. Russia was consequently suspended from the Group of 8 (G8) and the first round of sanctions were imposed on the country. The relationship between Russia and Ukraine has been strained ever since.

In late 2021 while denying any impending attack, Russia began deploying a large number of troops, military equipment, medical units and even blood close to the Ukrainian border. President Putin then put forward a list of highly controversial demands that he wants the West to meet in order for tensions in Europe to lessen, and for the crisis in Ukraine to be diffused.

With the escalating rhetoric around nuclear weapons, many countries, including the United States, tried to resolve the conflict peacefully. Washington responded to Putin’s demands by reiterating NATO’s “open door policy” while offering a “pragmatic evaluation” of Moscow’s concerns. Russia, obviously, was not very happy about this.

The most significant of Putin’s demands is that NATO (the North Atlantic Treaty Organization) not only stops its expansion to the east but retreats backwards. President Putin believes that allegiances formed between Soviet republics, former communist countries, Europe and the United States will pose an existential threat to Russia.

He accused NATO of threatening “our historic future as a nation” and announced, “Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern Ukraine”.

Just before 6am, Thursday 24 February, Putin announced the launch of a “special military operation” against Ukraine. It has turned out to be the biggest attack by one state against another in Europe since World War 2. The President said he intended to “dematerialize” but not occupy the country.

Within minutes of his speech, large explosions were reported near Kharikiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, and in the capital, Kyiv, as well as other parts of the country.

“I woke up because of the sounds of bombing,” said 29-year-old Maria Kashkoska as she sat on the floor of the train station.

“I packed a bag and tried to escape. We are sitting here, waiting,” she said. Her bag consisted of only a charger and a few essentials.

Since then, over 1.2 million refugees have fled Ukraine as Russian forces make advances in the south east.

Thursday 3 March saw a second attempt at peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, which ended with a no cease-fire.

“The second round of negotiations is over. Unfortunately, the results Ukraine needs are not yet achieved,” said Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak via Twitter, following the meeting.

On Friday 4 March, Russian forces seized Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Station, the largest in Europe, which now remains under their control. The attack led to a fire in the plant and threatened a catastrophe larger than the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Ukrainian firefighters extinguished the flames and no radiation was released, however this offers little reassurance as the bombing of Ukraine continues.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said an explosion at the power plant “would be the end for everyone. The end for Europe. The evacuation of Europe.”

Although Russian troops have taken control of the overall site, the plant staff continue to manage it. Following the attack, only one reactor continues to operate and at only 60 per cent of capacity.

Further east, Russian forces are surrounding Mariupol, a city on the Sea of Azov’s coast, leaving about a half million people without heat, water or electricity.

“We are a city under siege,” said Mariupol’s Mayor Vadym Boichenko to the Financial Times. “They are trying to exterminate us.”

Saturday 5 March saw a Russian-declared cease-fire to allow Mariupol and Volnovakha civilians to evacuate the cities, however this cease-fire came to an abrupt halt by what Ukrainian officials described as “renewed shelling”.

Ukraine has reached out to European nations for help, and many countries including Poland, Czech Republic and the Baltic States have responded with military aid and weaponry. Other countries across Europe have responded by way of non-lethal aid.

Watching all of this violence and devastation unfold from the safety of our small island paradise undoubtedly leaves New Zealanders feeling powerless and unsure of how to help.

The most obvious action we can take is supporting charities such as Red Cross, United Help Ukraine, Voices of Children and UNICEF in Ukraine, which are working hard to repair infrastructure, provide food and essential items to children and families, and reinforce health facilities with medicine and equipment.

For the majority of students that can barely afford rent let alone charitable donations, the best thing we can do is to keep advocating for peace and freedom. Although sharing posts on social media feels like a weak, token gesture against the thousands of people working on the frontlines, spreading information and awareness is of immense significance – just make sure to fact check everything you share! Keeping ourselves and our peers updated on current events not only promotes the development of stronger personal opinions but ultimately encourages global reformation and a better, more educated future.