By Ariq Uddin
Since this conflict is unfolding currently with new information rolling in each day, East Side News will continue to report on this in order to keep you updated. This article will focus on the events leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Despite denying the claims that they would to invade Ukraine, Russia first amassed a whopping 100,000 soldiers near its borders. Russia in response then accused Western countries of stirring up hysteria. However, they promptly invaded not long after.
Before this invasion, the U.S. ordered non-essential staff to leave the US Embassy in Kyiv; however the US “will maintain a small consular presence” in the western city of Lviv “to handle emergencies”. Russia responded by deciding to “optimize” its diplomatic staff numbers in Ukraine.
Attempts to reduce tensions through diplomacy were established when both U.S. President Joe Biden and France’s President Emmanuel Macron, spoke with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin by phone.
U.S. officials warned of a further build-up of Russian troops at Ukraine’s borders with planned Russian military exercises in the Black Sea in the days that followed.
President Biden responded by saying that he would not send troops to rescue any citizens left stranded in the event of Russian action causing further dismay among citizens.
President Biden then decided to host a video call with transatlantic leaders in which they all came to a consensus to launch a coordinated action to inflict crippling economic effects via sanctions on Russia if they were to invade Ukraine. The U.S. also said that it was to deploy a further 3,000 troops from Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to Poland, and that they were expected to arrive there next week. The troops’ purpose was not to fight in Ukraine, but to ensure the defense of U.S. allies.
