Ukrainian Crisis
NATO-Russia talks standoff amid the real risk of Ukraine war. The talks were organized because Russia has deployed war-ready troops and heavy military equipment along the eastern border of Ukraine (Ukrainian Crisis).
During the talks, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the US have rejected key Russian security demands to ease tensions on Ukraine.
Russia’s demand was that NATO withdraws its troops and military equipment from Ukraine and other neighboring countries of Russia.
Background of the crisis:
- The Russia-Ukraine crisis started in 2014.
- Since November 2014, a fierce conflict between the Ukrainian military and pro-Russian separatists in the two breakaway regions has continued, following Russia’s annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea region. In the year 2015, “The Minsk-2 Peace Agreement” was signed. France and Germany were the mediators in this. After this agreement an open potential conflict was averted.
- The agreement was designed to end conflict in rebel areas and hand over the border to Ukrainian national troops.
- These separatist regions were to be delegated more power by Ukraine, constitutional reforms were to be introduced and their special status was to be codified.
NATO organization
- NATO is an intergovernmental military alliance between North American and European countries.
- It was formed in the year 1949 during the Cold War. Its purpose is to protect the member states from the threats posed by communist countries.
- NATO also protects non-member countries. For example, Ukraine has been working with NATO for years even though it is not a member of NATO.
Source – The Hindu
