In the recent aggressive actions by Russia in the Sea of Azov, Russia has challenged international maritime law without reproach. By capturing Ukrainian ships and crews and regulating access to the Sea under their bridge, they have essentially closed off shipping to Ukrainian ports. They have crippled Ukraine's ability to trade and no one has stood up against them. The Ukrainians are still counting on NATO’s more active participation in condemning Russian aggression especially in the Sea of Azov crisis. We know that NATO means 'No Action, Talking Only'. This applies especially to the US and Trump. But hope remains.
Putin's strategic moves with Crimea and challenges to Ukraine by land and by sea have gone unpunished. No one cares about Ukraine. In the past, world wars have been started over much less. Yes, I learned in the board game RISK that Ukraine's borders are not defensible. Ukraine's defenses - one war ship - are certainly not up to the standard required to be a superpower whose borders others respect. No, instead, Putin pushes the boundaries wherever and whenever he can, gaining ground by inches if he has to, inducing fear among any who cross his lines. It is so frustrating to watch.
The New York Times summarizes the risks today:
"Such fears have highlighted how easy it is for Russia to squeeze Mariupol and Ukraine as a whole by dialing up and down pressure. It eases off when it wants to head off calls abroad for sanctions and assert plausible deniability, while leaving such a cloud of uncertainty that nobody can be sure what the risks are."
Meanwhile, Moscow is making moves to 'integrate' Belarus into Russia and the Unification Assembly of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church is taking part in Kyiv today to unite the two factions of the Ukrainian Church and remove Russia's controls over it. This is a volatile period for Europe. Putin won't stop until he has regained control of what was once the Soviet Union. Anything can explode.
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