The main leaders and Nations involved in the conflict
Problems and Policy
On March 18, 2014, Vladimir Putin signed a bill to absorb the Crimean peninsula into the Russian Federation. This was due to increasing tension on the Ukrainian government by pro-Russian separatists to give power to the Russian government. In response to the annexation of Crimea, NATO strengthened its Baltic Air Policing mission to keep the Russians inert. Also in April 2014, NATO suspended all civilian and military cooperation with Russia. On July 17, 2014, Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in Ukraine presumably by pro-Russian separatists, killing 298 lives. On July 30, 2014 the United States and the European Union issued sanctions against the Russian federation in response to their annexation of the Crimean peninsula. On September 1, 2014, Ukraine officials stated that 700 men have been taken prisoners by pro-Russian rebels. In September, NATO stated that it doesn't recognize Russia's annexation of Crimea; NATO also urged Russia to stop fomenting tension along the Ukrainian border through its flow of weapons into Ukraine. On November 2-3, 2014, pro-Russian Separatists in eastern Ukraine elect leaders backed by Russia and denounced by western countries like the United States. Then on November 12, 2014, NATO Commander General Philip Breedlove said that Russian troops were seen entering Ukraine. In the Russian annexation of Crimea, they secured the Dnepr station, a former soviet station where Russians will now use to monitor the Mediterranean and counter NATO expansion. Another issue that the Russian Federation has been causing is their unannounced "snap exercises" which are rapid mobilizations of mass numbers of soldiers and supplies to a specific military site. Since these exercises are announced to NATO or other nations, they present an issue because nations can view these exercises as acts of aggression.