Ukraine-Russia War: What makes Russia so Envious of NATO? Discover the Origins of a Seven-Decade-Old Feud

The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has officially begun. The launch of military action against Ukraine has been ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin dispatched soldiers to eastern Ukraine on Monday after declaring Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states.

NATO is thought to be at the heart of this time's issue between Russia and Ukraine. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, was established in 1949. Russia does not want Ukraine to join NATO.

Why is Russia so envious of NATO?

Russia believes that if Ukraine joins NATO, NATO forces will arrive and station themselves on its hideout border. But, more importantly, why is Russia so envious of NATO? To comprehend this, one must first comprehend what NATO is.

In actuality, the Second World War lasted from 1939 until 1945. Following this, the Soviet Union refused to evacuate soldiers from Eastern European areas. In 1948, Berlin was also besieged. Following this, America established NATO in 1949 to counter the Soviet Union's expansionist policies. The United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Italy, the Netherlands, Iceland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, and Denmark were among the 12 founding members of NATO. NATO now has 30 member countries.

NATO is a military alliance tasked with developing a shared security policy. If a foreign country attacks a NATO country, it is considered an attack on all NATO member countries, and all countries will work together to defend it.

So, what's the big deal about Russia now?

The globe was divided into two camps when the Second World War ended. There were two different types of superpowers. One was the United States of America, and the other was the Soviet Union. On December 25, 1991, the Soviet Union disintegrated. After the breakup, 15 new countries were founded. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan were among the fifteen countries.

Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union, America became the world's sole superpower. NATO, which is led by the United States, has continued to broaden its horizons. NATO membership was gained by countries that broke away from the Soviet Union. Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania joined NATO in 2004. Georgia and Ukraine were also invited to join NATO in 2008, but no country was able to do so.

If Ukraine joins NATO, Russia will be entirely encircled

Russian President Vladimir Putin has voiced opposition to NATO's expansion. 'We have made it clear that NATO expansion in the East is not acceptable,' he declared in December of last year. America has missiles aimed at our doorstep. What would America's reaction be if missiles were positioned on the border with Canada or Mexico?'

However, it is also claimed that Putin wanted Russia to join NATO at one point, but that he is now irritated with NATO. NATO members Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Turkey are bordering Russia. If Ukraine joins NATO, Russia will be entirely encircled, which will not be the case for this country. Putin claims that if Ukraine joins NATO, NATO missiles will land on Ukrainian soil in minutes in the future, posing a significant threat to Russia.

Is there any rivalry between South Africa and NATO?

There is no competition between Russia and NATO when it comes to military power or defense budget. The cumulative expenditure of all 30 countries in 2021, according to NATO, will be more than $ 1,174 billion. In 2020, NATO countries spent $1,106 billion. Russia, on the other hand, spent $61.7 billion on defense in 2020.

NATO has around 40 thousand soldiers ready to deploy at any time. At the same time, if NATO is directly participating in the conflict, it has almost 33 lakh soldiers on the ground. At the same time, Russia boasts a 12 lakh-strong army, with 8 lakh personnel on the front lines.

Aside from that, Russia has challenged the 14 nations that were once members of the Warsaw Pact to join NATO. In response to NATO's goal of providing military security to all member states, the Warsaw Pact was signed in 1955. However, after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, this treaty was rendered meaningless.

What is Ukraine's motivation for joining NATO?

Russia and Ukraine were both members of the Russian Empire prior to 1917. Following the Russian Revolution, the empire crumbled, and Ukraine declared independence. However, in a few years, it became a part of the Soviet Union.

Ukraine gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Ukraine is divided into two halves, one eastern and the other western. Eastern Ukrainians see themselves as being closer to Russia, whereas Western Ukrainians see themselves as being closer to the European Union.

Ukraine has a total of 2 lakh active military

Many sections of eastern Ukraine are under the authority of separatists backed by Russia. Russia has also recognized the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as distinct entities. Russia invaded Crimea in 2014 and annexed it to its country.

Ukraine's army is considerably smaller than Russia's. Ukraine has a total of 2 lakh active military, compared to Russia's 8.5 lakh. In addition, Russia's defense expenditure is ten times that of Ukraine. In such a case, Ukraine requires a military organization that can protect it in order to keep its independence, and there is no better organization than NATO.