Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 marked a significant escalation in the long-standing tensions between the two countries, posing the gravest threat to European peace since the Cold War. To understand Why Is Russia At War With Ukraine, it’s crucial to delve into the justifications presented by Russian President Vladimir Putin and the underlying factors driving this conflict. In a widely scrutinized speech on February 21, 2022, Putin articulated a series of grievances that served as a pretext for the “special military operation” launched the following day. While these grievances touched upon NATO expansion and European security, the core of Putin’s rationale questioned the very legitimacy of Ukrainian identity and statehood.
Global Protest Against Russia's War in Ukraine: Demonstrators in Istanbul holding Ukrainian flags and signs condemning the invasion.
Putin’s Rejection of Ukrainian Identity and Statehood
Putin’s perspective, repeatedly expressed over time, hinges on the concept of a deep unity among Eastern Slavic peoples—Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians—tracing their shared roots back to the medieval Kyivan Rus. This worldview suggests that the modern nations of Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus are inherently linked and should ideally share a unified political future. Conversely, this viewpoint dismisses distinct Ukrainian and Belarusian identities as artificial constructs, allegedly fostered by external manipulation. According to this narrative, the West is accused of perpetuating an “anti-Russia project” by exploiting Ukraine and Belarus, echoing historical rivalries against Russia.
Throughout his leadership, Putin’s policies towards Ukraine and Belarus have been based on the premise that their national identities are not genuine and are therefore easily undermined. His claims of external forces fabricating Ukrainian identity for geopolitical gains against Russia echo the historical denial of agency to populations seeking independence from Russian imperial or Soviet dominance. Putin frequently references historical figures and ideologies that emphasize the organic unity of the Russian Empire, particularly its Slavic and Orthodox core, reflecting what historian Timothy Snyder terms the “politics of eternity”—a belief in an immutable historical essence.
The Drive to Dominate Ukraine
The emphasis placed by Putin and the Russian elite on the notion of Russian-Ukrainian-Belarusian unity is key to understanding the fundamental reasons why is Russia at war with Ukraine. It clarifies why Moscow was prepared to initiate a large-scale war, despite the fact that neither Ukraine nor NATO posed an imminent military threat to Russia. This perspective suggests that Russia’s objectives extend beyond merely preventing Ukraine’s membership in NATO. Instead, Moscow’s ambitions appear to encompass a more comprehensive goal: to exert political, military, and economic dominance over Ukraine, ensuring it remains firmly within Russia’s sphere of influence.
