As tensions in Ukraine rose with riots and protests, Russia invaded the Crimea peninsula with military troops. Crimea is located in eastern Ukraine on the Black Sea. It is a strategic piece of land that Russia has long coveted. Eastern Ukraine is notoriously pro-Russian and has now elected a pro-Russian prime minister, Sergey Aksyonov. According to Aksyonov, Russia currently has 11,000 troops on the Crimea peninsula. Chris Pineda, a junior in peace building from Utah, said, “There are better ways to resolve conflicts other than fighting.” Russian President Vladimir Putin continues denying sending any Russian troops to Crimea. Putin has also said Crimea will be an “equal subject” of Russia if it votes to leave Ukraine in a vote planned for March 16. Ukraine has been in an uprising to overthrow the current government after deals were in the works with the west and not with Russia. President Barack Obama has been in unsuccessful talks with President Vladimir Putin on backing out of Ukraine. There is still no word on who will replace former President of Ukraine, Viktor Yanukovych after being removed from office by the Ukrainian Parliament in February of this year. Troops have successfully taken over at least one Ukrainian military base by crashing a truck through the gates and a hospital. There were no casualties or shots fired in the takeovers. Coney Pulla, a recent graduate in political science from India, said, “Everyone needs to let Ukraine deal with their own internal problems, including Russia. Ukraine started this uprising and Ukraine needs to work out their own political issues. Russia doesn’t need to get involved.” Vladimir Tropnikov, a sophomore in ICS and peace building from Moscow, Russia, said, “We can’t trust what we see and read in the media because we aren’t seeing the core of the problem in Ukraine. Half of Ukraine speaks Ukrainian and the other half speaks Russian. Crimea falls in the Russian-speaking half and they feel like the pro-western Ukrainian speaking government is misrepresenting them. They feel like they would be better off under Russia.”
Writer: Reid Crickmore ~ Multimedia Journalist
