Conflicts and tensions between Russia and Ukraine have been ongoing for years now, but whenever Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, these conflicts escalated rapidly. 

Of course now the rest of the world wants to help, but that is exactly the problem. Ukraine is not part of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization). Because of this, any NATO country that wants to help Ukraine, cannot help them without starting their own war with Russia. Many countries have found ways around this such as, putting sanctions on Russian oil and closing businesses within Russia. But, at this point it has simply not been enough to stop Russia.

So, as these tensions continue, it became apparent that students here in NAI may have many thoughts and feelings of their own.

Sophomore, Matt Radermacher, shared a few of his thoughts. One of them being, “I think that If we stop importing Russian oil and open up more of our own pipelines, Russia will run low on financial resources to fund and facilitate their war.” Another point that Radermacher made was, “Putin has shown everyone that he cares not about the crises he’s caused but about his own image and his own perceived honor.” 

Another sophomore, Avery Butcher, had similar opinions. She stated, “Since Ukraine is not in NATO, it is a bit of a gray area for some countries on how they should help them. This is also a reason Russia would want to invade, because it splinters the relationships between NATO members.” 

Butcher said that she is a bit nervous hearing about these conflicts because she is worried it could amount to something more. This has also been a heavily talked about topic, hearing rumors about how this will be World War III. Although that would be tragic, and is something no one is hoping for, it is still in the realm of possibility. 

 One student, who wished to remain anonymous, looked at the conflict between Russia and Ukraine from a different perspective than the others. Instead of viewing the countries as a whole, they thought about the common people who are just bystanders to the war and how their lives are being changed forever. 

They stated, “One thing I have heard for sure is how terrible this war is for regular, common people. It is upsetting to see on the news how many of these families in Ukraine have to walk painful journeys, in cold weather, to cross the borders to another country.” 

They also highlighted the point of view of some of the Russian people, saying, “I have also seen on the news a lot from Russia’s side that this war seems to be more like Putin against Ukraine rather than Russia against Ukraine. Many of those in Russia who protest to maintain peace and to stop the war are arrested by none other than their own people.” 

They finished off by saying, “Rather than being nervous, I am more upset because as tensions continue, deaths continue, which are both unfair and unfortunate. I am nervous to see if this war will escalate to a stage of other countries getting involved because the moment other countries start including themselves, it will become the next world war.” As the opinions of others begin to surface about this war, sadly, this is the answer that is often heard. People are fearful and nervous, as tensions continue to escalate. 

Of course, no one wants this to create World War III, but it is something that is becoming a common and recurring thought. As tensions continue to rise between Russia and Ukraine, it is best to just hope that this war is terminated soon, and no more innocent bystanders are taken throughout this process.