In October 2021, Russia began moving troops and military equipment near the Ukrainian border reigniting concerns over an invasion. Commercial satellite imagery and social media post from November and December 2021 showed armor missiles, and weaponry moving toward Ukraine with no official explanation. By December, more than one hundred thousand troops were in place near the border and U.S. officials said that Russia would likely invade Ukraine in early 2022.

“Russia invaded Ukraine eight years ago, and now we can see consequences. It’s not a war yet it’s just a conflict between Ukraine and Russia and they might try to invade us again,” Foreign exchange Ukraine student, Maryana Leschento, said.

Ukraine is not like other countries, they just don’t send soldiers to fight, they are training their civilians how to shoot and how to take apart a gun and put it back together. They are teaching everyone combats skills so that everyone is prepared.

“I believe it’s important for any country to have a strong army. We should be ready to resist and fight at any moment, foreign exchange Ukraine student, Leschento, said.

Joe Biden has called on all American citizens remaining in Ukraine to leave the country

immediately. Biden says he will not send troops to rescue Americans when Russia invades Ukraine. Several other countries urged their citizens to leave as well.

“I think it’s smart that Biden is ordering all of the US citizens to leave before the invasion happens,” Ukraine foreign exchange student, Leschento, said.

In a nation of 44 million people, about 2.6 million Ukrainians have fled the country due to Russia invading the country and high covid rates. About two thirds find refuge with friends, family or others who’ve been displaced.

“Tension in society is due to mostly exaggerated news and high covid rates. I am not happy I left I would like to be closer to my family,” Ukraine foreign exchange student, Vanda Sovinska, said.

Ukraine has asked European nations for military and defensive aid amid fears that Russia will invade the country. But there are other countries that are willing to provide weapons to Ukraine including the Baltic states, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Poland’s prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki offered ten thousand bullets and artillery ammunition to Ukraine.

Russian missiles flew through the Ukrainian sky Thursday Feb. 24 and world leaders decried an invasion spreading across the country, China refused to condemn Russia’s move out right, while appearing to levy blame on the United States and its allies. if the United States were to get involved that would start a world war and a nuclear warfare. Biden has ordered that US citizens that are in Ukraine to leave immediately. If Russia invades NATO countries, then Russia will have to pay the price, and that will eventually trigger World War three.

The United States and other western countries have placed sanctions against Russia. They have frozen assets in Russia’s central bank and have said that people and businesses dealings with the Russian central bank are banned. Flights coming from Russia are banned from the US and British airspace. It also includes the oil pipeline company, Transneft, the largest oil pipeline company in the world. These sanctions are designed to cripple the Russian economy to prevent Vladimir Putin from furthering their invasion in Ukraine.

Since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Belarus has been a close ally of Russia. Since they have projected support for Russia, the US and other countries have started placing sanctions against Belarus as well.