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Why is Russia invading Ukraine and what does Putin want?


By air, land, and sea, Russia has launched a devastating attack on Ukraine, a European democracy of 44 million people.

Vocabulary


exodus            /ˈeksədəs/ n. a mass departure of people, especially emigrants

       ex. There was an exodus of tourists in the country after the pandemic.

                               

jeopardize        /ˈjepərˌdīz/ v. put (someone or something) into a situation in which there is a danger of loss, harm, or failure

       ex. Focus on your studies, don’t jeopardize them because of your part-time job.

 

genocide         /ˈjenəˌsīd/ n. the deliberate killing of many people from a particular nation or ethnic group with the aim of destroying that nation or group

       ex. Genocide is unforgivable and it is well recorded in world history.

 

onslaught       /ˈänˌslôt,ˈônˌslôt/  n. a fierce or destructive attack

                          ex. The war created a huge onslaught in the country.


extremists        /ikˈstrēməst/ n (plural form). a person who holds extreme or fanatical political or religious views, especially one who resorts to or advocates extreme action

       ex. Extremists will always challenge the government to do better or do some action.


Comprehension Questions

What country launched a devastating attack on Ukraine?

What did the resident of Russia say about Ukraine on February 24?

Who is the president of Ukraine during this attack?

Describe the invasion that happened in Ukraine.

If you are a president, what can you do to protect your people?


Article Reading


By air, land, and sea, Russia has launched a devastating attack on Ukraine, a European democracy of 44 million people. Its forces are bombing city centers and closing in on the capital, Kyiv, prompting a mass exodus of refugees.

For months, President Vladimir Putin denied he would invade his neighbor, but then he tore up a peace deal and unleashed what Germany calls "Putin's war", pouring forces into Ukraine's north, east and south. As the number of dead climbs, Russia's leader stands accused of shattering the peace in Europe. What happens next could jeopardize the continent's entire security structure.


Why have Russian troops attacked?

In a pre-dawn TV address on 24 February, President Putin declared Russia could not feel "safe, develop and exist" because of what he claimed was a constant threat from modern Ukraine.

Immediately, airports and military headquarters were attacked, then tanks and troops rolled in from Russia, Russia-annexed Crimea, and its ally Belarus. Now, warplanes have bombed major cities, and Russian forces have seized control of the key southern port city Kherson.

Russia refuses to use the terms war or even invasion; many of its leader's justifications for it were false or irrational. He claimed his goal was to protect people subjected to bullying and genocide and aim for the "demilitarization and de-Nazification" of Ukraine. There has been no genocide in Ukraine: it is a vibrant democracy, led by a president who is Jewish.

"How could I be a Nazi?" said Volodymyr Zelensky, who likened Russia's onslaught to Nazi Germany's invasion in World War Two. Ukraine's chief rabbi and the Auschwitz Memorial have also rejected Russia's slur.


How much of Ukraine does Russia control?

President Putin has frequently accused Ukraine of being taken over by extremists, ever since its pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted in 2014 after months of protests against his rule.

Russia then retaliated by seizing the southern region of Crimea and triggering a rebellion in the east, backing separatists who have fought Ukrainian forces in a war that has claimed 14,000 lives.

Late in 2021, Russia began deploying big numbers of troops close to Ukraine's borders, while repeatedly denying it was going to attack. Then Mr. Putin scrapped a 2015 peace deal for the east and recognized areas under rebel control as an independent.

Russia has long resisted Ukraine's move towards the European Union and the West's defensive military alliance, NATO. Announcing Russia's invasion, he accused NATO of threatening "our historic future as a nation".

Source:  By Paul Kirby, BBC News
Full article @https://www.bbc.com/news/world-Europe-56720589

 













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