A little helpful background on Ukraine

Europeans have invaded Russia twice. Napoleon invaded Russia with a force of close to half a million troops. He advanced to Moscow, but the Russian government had relocated. The brutal Russian winter arrived, and Napoleon’s army froze, starved, and died of disease as they retreated from the country.

Germany, under Hitler, invaded Russia at the outset of World War Two. The Germans sent their best armed forces to the Eastern Front to fight the Russians. Seventy percent of Germany’s casualties were sustained fighting the Russians. During the war, Russia lost about 20 million people. The Russians are understandably wary of any military threat from the West. 

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was created and extensively influenced by the United States. When NATO seeks to place missiles in Ukraine, it alarms the Russians. Missile flight time from Ukrainian sites to Russian targets is too brief to allow detection and reaction. The Russians are probably willing to pay a high price to prevent NATO missile installations in Ukraine.

Some readers may remember the Cuban missile “crisis.” During the “cold war,” the Russians attempted to install missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from Florida. The United States considered that situation intolerable and would have done anything necessary to prevent completion of the missile installation. Fortunately, a resolution was negotiated; the Russians removed their missiles from Cuba, and the United States removed U.S. missiles from Turkey that were a threat to Russia.

During the worst of the “cold war” era when the United States and Russia (then the USSR) had, between them, enough nuclear weapons to destroy civilization, the Russians reportedly implemented a “dead man switch” launch system. If a nuclear weapon obliterated the Russian leadership at the Kremlin, the system would sense shock waves and radiation in the Moscow area and automatically trigger a retaliatory launch of Russian missiles.

Ukraine was a member of the USSR for 69 years. When the USSR dissolved in 1991, the satellite states, including Ukraine, became self-governing. Probably, some Ukrainians would prefer a close relationship with Russia and others would prefer close relationships with Western countries, but it is also probable that most Ukrainians would prefer to not be pawns in a dispute between the U.S. and Russia.

Russia has a limited economy and is dependent on the sale of petroleum for revenue. The Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany is completed but not activated. The U.S. Has vigorously opposed the pipeline — one more reason the Russians may not trust America’s good intentions.

Americans who believe that democracy is the best form of government certainly do not want Russian rule imposed on Ukraine or any other country. Let us hope there is a better solution for this dispute. 

Jack Stevenson is a retired infantry officer, civil service and private corporation employee who now reads history, follows issues important to Americans, and writes commentary from his home in Pensacola, Florida.