Russia Against the World
The Russian invasion has done something the European Union could not do: unite Europe. Even with two world wars and several localized European conflicts, Switzerland has maintained its neutrality for decades. They have not participated in any large conflict since the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. However, with Russian forces moving into Ukraine, Russia has inadvertently done something no country has ever done in the last two centuries: Switzerland has declared its support of another country.
Switzerland has adopted the EU's sanctions against Russia: economic sanctions and the freezing of Russian assets. It has literally been centuries since Switzerland has doing something against another country and Russia has done what not even Nazi Germany could do. In taking the side of Ukraine and what most consider democracy, Switzerland has now put itself against Russia: a truly momentous decision that just goes to show how poor Russia's decision was to invade Ukraine. Moreover, the European Union is more united today than it has ever been. Never since World War II has all of Europe been so united against a single country. The neutral countries of then now are opposing Russia; while there have been no official deployment of troops into Ukraine (MI6 are almost guaranteed to be there), the economic sanctions that the European Union and all of its countries have committed to are near-crippling. Again, economic sanctions of this scale have not been seen since World War II. This invasion of Ukraine has led to severe consequences for Russia, and it will only get worse from there.
While Europe stands united behind Ukraine, the United States has been important weapons to Ukraine for years on end. There are (nearly 100% guaranteed) CIA operatives in Ukraine, as well as millions of American-made weapons and ammunition. The United States has imported thousands of MANPADS (man-portable-anti-air-defense-system) to Ukraine, and the many anti-tank missiles and launchers have been put to great use. The Javelin missile launcher has been so effective against Russian tanks that they have begun to put blast rigs on top of tanks to stop Javelins and MBT Laws from simply annihilating them.
Additionally, even the private sector has been supporting Ukraine. Elon Musk has granted Ukraine full use of his StarLink program, which will provide internet to those in Ukraine after their towers have been knocked down by missiles and bombs. Certain countries have been sending Ukraine drones and their respective missiles, and most borders near Ukraine are open for refugees, with individual citizens often providing a temporary home for said refugees.
Russia faces a massive challenge if it is to complete its invasion of Ukraine. With so many forces arrayed against them in a foreign land, it seems as if another Vietnam War will occur, just this time it is communism attacking and democracy defending in cities rather than in jungles.
Hi James! I'm still quite ignorant in global issues, and specifically chose to write my precis on climate change to avoid getting involved in what's happening in Russia/Ukraine (I know I can't ignore it forever), so your blog posts are always helpful in keeping slightly more updated. I heard my friends talking about how Sweden (I think) broke neutrality and that if Putin feels backed into a corner he will drop nukes and try to bring the world down with him, and I can't tell if they are joking or not, which is kind of frightening either way. I've also heard about how Russia's economy is in absolute shambles right now, and I kind of feel bad for the citizens who don't support Putin.
ReplyDeleteHi James! A replication of the Vietnamese war might occur once again because with the use of missiles, bombs, anti-tank missiles that were used, Russia has caused Switzerland to support a country, which has never happened in history. The economic sanctions of the European nations have increased fear within the eyes of countries on the opposing side since they were scary penalties that were especially made for disobeying or going against the law. I do believe that receiving a temporary place for shelter is very nice of the citizens since refugees might have no place to go. Additionally, as media coverage has been very extensive for this war in the current day, it is unquestionably certain that these methods are effective in terms of spreading information through a large audience. Allowing others to comprehend the same amount of information is necessary in order for people to take immediate action in times of need. Thank you for informing me on the current war that is taking place, and I hope to read more!
ReplyDeleteHi James! I was not even aware that Switzerland had remain neutral for so long, and I had just previously assumed that most countries had simply placed sanctions on Russia. I wonder if there's also a change in Switzerland's political ideology that may have prompted the country to take such an unprecedented position and end decades of isolationism from European affairs. Either way, it still does go to show how radical the invasion of Ukraine was. The support of Ukraine both from the United States and most European nations is certainly good to see as Russia's invasion was completely unjustified. It's also nice that even private companies are providing relief for the victims of the conflict.
ReplyDeleteHi James, I did not know that Switzerland avoided foreign affairs so much, so that fascinates me. I also heard that Switzerland has a really good economy from somewhere; if that is true then it is probably because they are so independent. However in this situation, Switzerland's decision to enforce the sanctions is good because it is on the right side of history; Switzerland in this situation is not going into war but simply preventing it. A third world war would be nothing like we imagine so the rest of the world is doing a good thing by attacking the problem early.
ReplyDeleteHey James, I look forward to your updates and perspective on the recent current events in Ukraine, as they always introduce some fairly new topics to discuss and think about when predicting or reacting to the impending crisis. The fact that Switzerland has finally not taken a stance of neutrality really does reflect the clear aggression of Russia and the nature of this conflict in Europe. The immense support backing Ukraine in this crisis as well as Russia's persistence in continued assault and attack seems to indicate further and more extreme reactions, which would definitely have the means to escalate into a world war. However, only time will tell as nations take their stances and decide what they intend to do, whether it be to make peace and compromise, or to take up arms and attack.
ReplyDeleteHi James, thanks for your biweekly update on the situation between Ukraine and Russia. I genuinely learn a lot about what is happening in our world right now through your blog posts, without having to shuffle through the many highly politicized articles online. I did not know that Switzerland had been neutral and at peace for so long. It is impressive that Putin single handedly broke this century long Switzerland neutrality policy. I remember reading once that dark times bring out the best in some people, and I think that the support Ukraine is receiving from the UN and the unity of the Western democracies against Putin perfectly embody that sentiment. With all the measures you mentioned, it definitely seems like Russia is being backed against a corner. Hopefully this international pressure forced Putin to surrender, and he does not turn to nuclear weapons because that would quickly turn into a nuclear war that would wreak havoc on earth.
ReplyDeleteHi James, I found it shocking when I heard that Switzerland broke its neutrality because of the war. There were two parts to my reaction. One was satisfaction that the West was taking a real stance against Russia. As you mentioned, it showed a real form of unity, a quality that's important when facing off one of the biggest powers in the world. But another part of me felt frustration as the continuous destruction in countries in the Middle East and Africa are often ignored and not covered by the media simply because it affects a group of people that the world doesn't seem to care about. As soon as it becomes about Europeans, everyone bands together to condemn Russia. But I guess that's just the way power dynamics work in the world.
ReplyDeleteHi James! It's crazy to me how even the Nazis weren't enough to make Switzerland break its neutrality but now with the Russian threat they've finally stepped into the scene. I feel more and more like we're living through events that will impact history forever. I have been keenly looking for more news regarding this situation. I don't usually pay attention to world news, but now I feel compelled to because of the scale of this crisis. It really feels like the whole world is against Russia. Except India, I noticed how they refused to say anything on the situation to keep on good terms with Russia who supply them with most of their military. It really says a lot about how power corrupts in a time when people are unjustly losing their lives to a foreign threat.
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