RUSSIA NATIONAL INTEREST IN THE RUSSIA -UKRAINE CRISIS

 

RUSSIA AND ITS NATIONAL INTEREST IN THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE CRISIS. 

If states go to war it is because they strive for power, are self-interested, and pay particular importance to their security. In this context, Russia embarked on military action against Ukraine because it pays particular importance to its security. Russia does not strive for power. It is a superpower already. A force to reckon with in terms of military, economic, diplomatic, and political strength and might. Is Russia self-interested? If yes, its national interest makes it so. 

This article aims at expatiating the Russian cognizant and paramount interest in the ongoing Russian-Ukraine crisis. National interest means a country’s goals and ambitions whether economic, military, or cultural. Also, national interest is made of goals and ambitions states seek to pursue, achieve and protect in the course of their interaction in the international system. Chandra, cited in Ake (1982) has defined what constitutes national interest to include: national security, political independence, territorial integrity, promotion of economic well-being, and world peace. 

So, the question that pops up is, what is the Russian national interest that it seeks to strive for, achieve and protect? Russia is just like any other superpower that will employ whatever means to achieve and protect its national interests. The cognizant and paramount interest of the Russian government in the ongoing crisis is security. All other interest such as the secession of the Donbas region from Ukraine and protecting its influence over Ukraine is paraphernalia. They are not vital interests for a superpower like Russia. If Russia wants to annex Ukraine, it would have done eight years ago during the Euromaidan crisis of 2013. Russia used that incident to annex and achieve the independence of Crimea in 2014. Russian vital interest is security. All actors in the international system know that the gain of security of a state is the loss of it for another. If Ukraine achieves NATO’s security, it would be at the expense of Russia.

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The issue of Russian security started during the Cold War Era (1945-1991). During that time, the Western Powers allied and formed a defense pact known as North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO, in April 1949. All countries under this aegis are protected and securely guarded. All members pledged to go to war if any other member was attacked. The founding members were twelve and they included: the U.S.A., Britain, France, Canada, Belgium, Norway, Portugal, Italy, Luxembourg, Iceland, Denmark, and Netherland. Recent, members of NATO are thirty (30) with three (3) aspiring members. On the other hand, the USSR formed a reactionary and counter military alliance known as the Warsaw Pact on May 14, 1955. Members that signed the alliance treaty were: Romania, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, East Germany, Albania, and Bulgaria. This was a counter-military alliance against the west. Unfortunately, this alliance was dissolved at the onset of the collapse of the USSR (December 25, 1991)on July 1, 1991. Since then, some of the member-states of the defunct  USSR have joined NATO, and more still want to join, the likes of Ukraine.  

Hence, how will Ukrainian membership in NATO affect Russian security? This is the question that pundits and international observers are suggesting answers to. According to Amit Sengupta, “Ukraine is a matter of strategic importance to Russia". That is, the geographical proximity of Ukraine to Russia is cogent in Russian security. They are close to each other. The gain of security of Ukraine is tantamount to the loss of it by Russia. Peradventure if Ukraine joins NATO, the security and territorial integrity of Russia will be at stake. NATO would store nuclear weapons and other surveillance gadgets in Ukraine at the expense of Russia's security. Russia does not want this to happen. And several warnings have been sent to NATO to desist from Ukraine. The Russian government does not want any threat from NATO near its border. The Iraq war (2003-2011) will explain this better. During the Iraq war, NATO’s Air Command headquarters was stationed at Izmir, Turkey from 2004 to 2013. Some U.S. B61 nuclear weapons of about 150 were stored there. This was done to serve as a military threat to Iraq and mind you, Turkey is also of strategic importance to the security of Iraq due to its geographical nearness to it.  “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it” so says Winston Churchill. The realistic and pragmatic Russian president, Vladimir Putin, knows that if Ukraine joins NATO the same thing will happen. NATO will store nuclear weapons in Ukraine at the expense of its neighbor, Russia. 

In addition, if Ukraine joins NATO, the latter will station its Air Command headquarters in the former territory. And do you know what, according to Amit Sengupta, it will take only thirty-five (35) minutes for NATO to launch Tomahawk Rockets from Ukraine to Russia and just five (5) minutes to launch Hypersonic Missiles in case of any war with Russia? Russia is cognizant of its security.  

In conclusion, the behavior of actors in the international system is rooted in the pursuit, protection, and promotion of its interest. The Russian security interest is paramount and preponderant to it regardless of any sentimental or prejudiced view of its action. The gain of security of a state is the loss of it for another. Don’t forget that"in the international system there is no room for sentiment and morality”. Prof. Ukaogo.         

 

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