Just under a year ago, on February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine to regain territorial control of Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, along with other areas of Ukraine. Making headlines worldwide, many had not foreseen such an act of such aggression from Russia. At the time, Russia was in hopes of the war being short lived, planning to have the capital under control in a matter of days. Those ambitions have proven false, nearing a year of conflict there seems to be no end in sight.

Amidst all the cruelty of Russian aggression and the continued attack on Ukrainian civilians, there is more than one contributor to the continuation of the war. The sight of President Zelenskyy speaking to the U.S. House of Representatives appears to promote a positive image of the Biden administration seeking to bridge the gap between the West and Ukraine. Even so, it may provoke further Russian aggression as Putin and Russian officials watch the West arm and finance Ukraine. 

This conflict revives a deep-rooted history, a long standing rivalry between Eastern and Western powers. NATO plays a significant role in this war, as Ukraine has attempted to join NATO forces since 2008. Russia continues to view NATO expansion as a threat and the West has pushed NATO countries closer and closer to Russia; Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania are some of the Eastern European countries that have joined NATO since 1992. It is important to note that many of those countries were former Soviet Union members and seeked protection over future Russian aggression through establishing their position in NATO after the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

Since then, the Kremlin has taken ruthless actions to defend their state, which the globe has seen through the Russo-Ukrainian war. Traveling back to December 2021, we see a pivotal point the media tends not to highlight, Putin stating that “aggressive NATO measures'' are a security threat to Russia and that to avoid Russian aggression (which would lead to the Ukrainian war) there would need to be a de-escalation on the United States and NATO ends. The West, according to Putin, seems to have ignored these statements, and anti-war activists, such as Medea Benjamin, have brought awareness to the perpetuation of war from the West and have been pushing for Western countries to encourage peace talks or cease fires instead of encouraging the continuation of conflict. 

The Russo-Ukrainian war has been nothing but brutal, with 7,199 civilian deaths, nearly 9 million refugees across Europe, countless cases of gender-based violence, and mass destruction across Ukraine. As the conflict has continued to escalate, mass media has served as the bridge between the world of war and everyday life for those who live outside of the zone of conflict. With images and stories of Ukrainians affected by the Russo-Ukrainian war dominating the media, and though it is vital to share such narratives, media may additionally be escalating aggression among Russia and the West in an already divisive conflict. Recently, President Zelenskyy visited the U.S. Congress, asking for more aid to be diverted towards Ukraine's Armed Forces, and photographs showed Nancy Pelosi and Kamala Harris holding up the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag in solidarity with Ukraine.

It has become clear that America has chosen a side to support in this war, and while this support is undoubtedly the right choice, sharing images of such solidarity may just be increasing Russian aggression across the border. Constant media attention on Ukrainian solidarity along with additional aid may not be supporting Ukraine, rather providing more of an incentive for Putin to continue the conflict, as Putin hopes to prove Russia’s dominance. On January 30, 2023, the Kremlin stated foreign countries sending weapons to Ukraine will only increase Russian aggression. As we near one year of this ongoing war, peace does not seem to be in sight. The question that arises is why should we listen to Russia? 

Some scholars believe we need to move away from the geo-political ideology that shaped the Cold War, the ideology that Russia, the US, and other dominant “nation-states police the planet.” That ideology is currently shaping how the Russo-Ukraine war operates. By promoting further separation between Western countries, Russia will only continue this senseless war, causing the deaths of innocent civilians. Global superpowers need to focus on a cease-fire and continued peace talks. Though solidarity with the Ukrainian people is vital, action needs to be taken toward a peaceful resolution.

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