It started with a choice. In late 2013, Viktor Yanukovych, the then-president of Ukraine, stood at a literal crossroads between East and West. He had a trade deal with the European Union on his desk, something the Ukrainian public—especially the younger generation—desperately wanted. Then, the phone rang from Moscow.
Pressure from Vladimir Putin led Yanukovych to scrap the EU deal in favor of a Russian bailout. People lost it. They flooded the streets of Kyiv in what became known as the Maidan Revolution. Within months, Yanukovych fled to Russia, and Putin responded by seizing Crimea. This isn't just a "territorial dispute." If you're asking why are Ukraine and Russia at war, you have to realize this is a collision of two completely different worldviews: one looking toward democratic Europe and another trying to rebuild a lost empire.
The Ghost of the Soviet Union
Vladimir Putin once called the collapse of the Soviet Union the "greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the century." He wasn't kidding. For him, Ukraine isn't just a neighbor; he genuinely believes it’s an integral part of Russia's spiritual and historical "sphere of influence."
In 2021, Putin published a massive, 5,000-word essay titled On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians. He basically argued that Ukraine has no real tradition of independent statehood. He views the border as an artificial line drawn by Bolsheviks. To Putin, Ukraine’s move toward the West is more than a policy shift—it’s a betrayal of the "Russian World" (Russkiy Mir).
Ukraine sees things differently. Obviously.
They remember the Holodomor, the man-made famine in the 1930s where Stalinist policies killed millions of Ukrainians. They remember decades of Russification. For Ukrainians, this war is an existential fight for the right to exist as a sovereign nation. It's about the right to choose their own leaders and their own future without checking with the Kremlin first.
Why Are Ukraine and Russia at War? NATO and the Security Myth
If you listen to the Kremlin, they’ll tell you this is all NATO’s fault. They claim they were promised NATO wouldn't expand "one inch eastward" after the Cold War. While there were verbal discussions back in 1990 during German reunification, no such promise was ever put in a formal treaty.
Still, the fear is real in Moscow.
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The idea of a Western-aligned Ukraine, potentially hosting NATO troops or advanced missile systems, is a "red line" for Putin. But here’s the kicker: NATO wasn't actually close to admitting Ukraine in early 2022. The alliance was divided, and Ukraine had significant hurdles to clear regarding corruption and territorial disputes. Putin’s decision to launch the full-scale invasion in February 2022 didn't stop NATO expansion—it actually backfired and pushed Finland and Sweden to join the alliance.
Talk about an own goal.
The 2014 Spark: Donbas and Crimea
We often forget the war didn't actually start in 2022. It started in 2014. After the Maidan Revolution, Russia didn't just take Crimea; it fueled a separatist insurgency in the Donbas region (Donetsk and Luhansk).
For eight years, a "gray zone" war simmered. Trenches were dug. Snipers traded shots. Over 14,000 people died before the 2022 invasion even began. The Minsk Agreements—peace deals brokered by France and Germany—tried to stop the bleeding, but they were basically a mess of contradictions. Ukraine felt the deals forced them to give up too much sovereignty; Russia felt Ukraine wasn't following through on giving the Donbas special status.
By early 2022, Putin decided he was done with diplomacy. He recognized the separatist regions as independent states and sent the tanks in.
The Democracy Threat
There is a deeper, scarier reason for the Kremlin that they don't like to talk about: the threat of a "good example."
Imagine you are an authoritarian leader in Russia. If Ukraine—a country with deep cultural and family ties to Russia—succeeds in becoming a thriving, transparent democracy, your own people might start asking questions. "If they can vote out corrupt leaders and have free speech, why can't we?"
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A democratic Ukraine is a direct threat to the stability of Putin’s political system. This is why the war isn't just about land; it’s about crushing a democratic alternative on Russia’s doorstep.
The Cultural Identity Crisis
Language has been weaponized here in a way that’s honestly heartbreaking. Many Ukrainians grew up speaking Russian as their first language, especially in the East and South. Putin used this as a pretext, claiming he was "protecting Russian speakers" from "genocide."
There was no genocide.
In fact, many of the Russian speakers Putin claimed to be saving are the ones whose homes have been destroyed by Russian shelling in cities like Mariupol and Kharkiv. This war has actually done the opposite of what Putin wanted: it has unified Ukrainians. People who used to be indifferent about politics or spoke Russian daily have switched to Ukrainian as a matter of pride and resistance.
Disinformation and the Information War
You’ve probably seen the "denazification" claim. It’s one of the weirdest parts of the Russian propaganda machine.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish. He lost family in the Holocaust. While Ukraine, like many Eastern European countries, has some far-right elements (like the Azov Regiment’s origins), they have almost zero political power in the national government. In the last parliamentary elections, the far-right coalition didn't even meet the 5% threshold to enter parliament.
The "Nazi" label is a powerful emotional trigger in Russia because of the "Great Patriotic War" (WWII). It’s used to justify the invasion to the Russian public, even when it doesn't align with reality.
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The Global Stakes: It’s Not Just About Borders
Why should someone in New York, London, or Tokyo care why are Ukraine and Russia at war? Because the "rules of the road" for the entire world are at stake.
Since 1945, the global order has been built on the idea that big countries can't just gobble up their smaller neighbors. If Russia succeeds, it sends a signal to every other regional power that "might makes right."
Then there’s the breadbasket factor. Ukraine is one of the world's top exporters of grain and sunflower oil. When the ports in Odesa were blocked, food prices spiked in Egypt, Lebanon, and across Africa. Energy prices in Europe went through the roof. This is a local war with massive, painful global ripples.
Understanding the Hard Truths
We have to be honest about the limitations of what we know. The fog of war is real. While the West has provided billions in HIMARS, Leopards, and F-16s, the Russian economy hasn't collapsed under sanctions as quickly as some predicted. Russia has successfully pivoted its oil sales to India and China.
It’s a war of attrition now.
Neither side is backing down because for both, losing is unthinkable. For Ukraine, losing means the end of their nation. For Putin, losing could mean the end of his regime.
How to Stay Informed and Act
The situation evolves daily, but the core drivers remain the same. To truly understand the nuance of this conflict, you have to look past the 30-second news clips.
- Follow boots-on-the-ground reporting. Journalists like Illia Ponomarenko or outlets like The Kyiv Independent provide granular detail that big networks often miss.
- Consult the Institute for the Study of War (ISW). They provide daily, factual maps of territorial changes without the fluff.
- Analyze the "Global South" perspective. To understand why the whole world hasn't sanctioned Russia, read reports from Indian or Brazilian analysts. It provides a necessary reality check on Western diplomacy.
- Support vetted humanitarian efforts. Organizations like United24 or the International Rescue Committee are directly helping the millions of displaced civilians who are the real victims of these geopolitical games.
The war between Ukraine and Russia is a complex tapestry of historical resentment, security fears, and a clash of political systems. It is the defining conflict of our era, and its outcome will dictate what the 21st century looks like for all of us.