Russia ukraine war upsc

Introduction History of International Relations has presented us with an arbitrary reminder that conflicts which occur in an anarchic world order have consequences. The conflicts that turn into large-scale wars have immense potential to create destruction and chaos, not only during the passage of war but also in the long future of the countries involved and as well as the world. It doesn't take much effort to know that the present-day Ukraine-Russian War would have an impact on both countries in the coming years when the war supposedly ends. This is for an obvious fact that the countries involved in the war will see a direct impact on their sovereignty, economy, citizens, resources as well as the behaviour of the future individual state. However, this is not the only direct manifestation of war. Another dimension of war is that it impacts the world. The bigger picture, in the era of globalisation, includes all the countries of the world, in one way or the other and its consequences on the world order. It is a task to lay out all the future implications of the Russia-Ukraine war, especially when the war is still ongoing. The implications are manifold - humanitarian, economic, and environmental to name only a few. This blog would aim at something more basic and is in no way a complete inquiry of the problem. I will try to sketch the implications of present-day war in three parts. The first part will deal with the implications on Ukraine, the second part will speak of how the...

Russia - Ukraine Conflict [UPSC Notes] Latest Developments in Russia – Ukraine Conflict On Feb 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-fledged The tensions on Ukraine’s border with Russia are at their highest in years. Fearing a potential invasion by Russia, the US and NATO are stepping up support for Ukraine. In this article, we explain the reason for tensions between Russia and Ukraine, the latest developments, the stand of various stakeholders in the region, and the way forward for the Russia – Ukraine Conflict Background Post the • Ukraine was a member of the Soviet Union until 1991 when it disintegrated, and Russia has tried to maintain the country in its orbit since then. • In 2014, a separatist insurgency started in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland, Donetsk Basin, also known as, • Russia further gained a maritime advantage in the region due to its invasion and annexation of Crimea. • As a result, both the US and the EU have pledged to safeguard the integrity of Ukraine’s borders. Image Source: Al Jazeera Importance of Ukraine to Russia • Ukraine and Russia have shared cultural and linguistic ties for hundreds of years. • Ukraine was the most powerful country in the Soviet Union after Russia. • Ukraine has been a hub for commercial industries, factories and defence manufacturing. • Ukraine also provides Russia with access to the Black Sea and crucial connectivity to the Mediterranean Sea. Reasons for Russian Aggression The chief reasons for Russian aggression are ...

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important : Prelims level : NA Mains level : Russian-Ukraine war, India's strategy, worlds perspective Context • As external affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar arrives in Russia this week for a bilateral visit, there is growing international interest in the potential Indian diplomatic contribution to ending the tragic war in Ukraine which is now in the ninth month and has shaken the world to its core. The story of • India’s balanced approach: India has reasons to be satisfied that there is a better appreciation of its position on Ukraine in the Western public discourse. In the last few months, the Western media and think tanks had been relentless in their criticism of the Indian approach to the crisis as lacking moral and strategic clarity in the face of Russia’s unprovoked aggression. • India didn’t criticize Russian nor endorse Russian aggression: Through the last nine months, Delhi was reluctant to explicitly criticize Russian aggression against Ukraine and insisted on a dialogue between the warring parties. At the same time, India refused to endorse Russian aggression, underlined the importance of respecting the United Nations Charter, emphasized the inviolability of territorial sovereignty, warned against the use of nuclear weapons, and sought to draw at tension to the economic impact of the war on the “Global South”. • America showed sensitivity to India’s position: In the Biden administration there was a measure ...

New Delhi, Feb 24: Russian troops launched their anticipated attack on Ukraine on Thursday, as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions, warning other countries that any attempt to interfere would lead to "consequences you have never seen". Big explosions were heard before dawn in Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odesa as world leaders decried the start of a Russian invasion that could cause massive casualties and topple Ukraine's democratically elected government. • Ukraine has become the bone of contention between Washington and Moscow. • Russia wants the West to keep Ukraine and other former Soviet nations out of NATO, halt weapons deployments near Russian borders and roll back forces from Eastern Europe. • Ukraine wants to join NATO which has not gone well with Russia. • Russia thinks if Ukraine is allowed to join NATO, the group would move closer to Russia's borders. • If Ukraine joins NATO, it is eligible to get support from the group's members in case of external attacks. • So, Russia believes Ukraine could attempt to take back Crimea if it joins NATO. Putin too expressed his concerns in this regard recently. • Hence, Russia demands the West to stay out of Ukraine as Putin wants to restore Moscow's influence throughout the post-Soviet space. • Moreover, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia lost control of 14 former republics including Ukraine. • Putin considers this as tragic as both countries shared a single "historic and spiritual sp...

From UPSC perspective, the following things are important : Prelims level : Geneva Conventions Mains level : Read the attached story As the evidence of casualties in the civilian population continues to mount, the world will increasingly look to the Geneva Conventions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Geneva Conventions Guidelines for Wartime • These are a set of four treaties, formalized in 1949, and three additional protocols, which codify widely accepted ethical and legal international standards for humanitarian treatment of those impacted by war. • The focus of the Conventions is the: • Treatment of non-combatants and prisoners of war, and • Not the use of conventional or biological and chemical weapons What are the four Geneva Conventions? (1) First Geneva Convention: Health and Medical Issues • It protects wounded and sick soldiers on land during war. • This convention extends to medical and religious personnel, medical units, and medical transport. • It has two annexes containing a draft agreement relating to hospital zones and a model identity card for medical and religious personnel. (2) Second Geneva Convention: Offshore Protection • It protects wounded, sick and shipwrecked military personnel at sea during war. • This convention also extends to hospital ships and medical transports by sea, with specific commentary on the treatment and protections for their personnel. (3) Third Geneva Convention: Treatment of Prisoners of War (PoW) It applies to prisoners of war, i...