RUSSIA HYPOCRISY

 

Ukraine has been in turmoil for over four months, making the pulse of United States and her allies to vibrate and sending jittery waves on to the nerves of Russia. Ever since the crisis started in November 2013, world powers are divided over how the conflict should be resolved, due to their vetted interest in Ukraine and Eastern Europe.

Ukraine being a direct neighbour and close ally to Russia, refused to sign a bilateral agreement with the European Union in November 2013, this agreement, if signed would have shifted Ukraine away from the whims and caprices of Russia and towards the awaiting embrace of the West.

Russia, skeptical of the intentions of the European Union, pressured Ukraine not to sign the agreement.

This move immediately provoked what would later become a violent protest by some pro- western Ukrainians, who preferred closer ties with the West. The West accused former President of Ukraine (then the sitting President) Viktor Yanukovich, of using force on peaceful protesters. Russia also accused the West of supporting and aiding the protesters.

In a move to stem the protest, Viktor Yanukovich, proposed an anti-protest bill to the parliament; A bill if passed, would require a state approval before any protest would be allowed to hold in Ukraine.

This move led to further escalation of the conflict, with over 100 protesters dead after series of clashes with security officers. 

With pressure mounting on Viktor Yanukovich to relinquish power, the Ukraine parliament decided to remove him from his seat as President. The West, who expected nothing less in order to pave way for a more pro-western President, welcomed this move. As expected, Russia resented the action taken by the Ukraine Parliament, and promised not to recognise any government formed before the expiration of Viktor Yanukovich’s mandate.

The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, called the act as illegal and promised to protect Russian interest in Ukraine. In a swift move, he sought the approval of Russia parliament for the deployment of troops in Ukraine, which was approved. An act that clearly violates Ukraine’s sovereignty.

One would remember Russia’s grounds for presenting a case to the world when United States was planning a military attack on Syria. Russia was quick to remind the US that Syria is a sovereign nation, and under no circumstances is America permitted to carry out its military threat. Even when it was glaring to the whole world to see, that President Al Assad had used chemical weapon against his people.

Is there any justification whatsoever for invading a sovereign country? Except when a country is drenched in war, the sovereignty of a country is always respected and remains elusive.

Russia’s hypocritical stance on Ukraine discredits any moral grounds they may have gained by preventing US military strike on Syria. They have shown that where your vetted interest lies, anything you do to protect it, is good and justified.