Could the Crisis in Ukraine Lead to a World War?

Escalated tensions between Russia and Ukraine are spurring an international crisis, but can Russia’s increased military presence along the Ukrainian border, prompt a World War?

By: Mo Gerstley

Early Tuesday, Russian President, Vladimir Putin said he committed to a “partial withdrawal,” of troops alongside the Ukrainian border in a move to seemingly appear more cordial with NATO nations. This comes after a tumultuous two weeks, in which Russia deployed a record-high number of troops in a drastic move prompting Europe closer to war. However, NATO officials have yet to confirm whether that has actually occurred, with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg even saying that he has seen no evidence of “on the ground,” de-escalation. On the contrary, in the last 48 hours, sources say Russia has accelerated its troop buildup along the Ukrainian border, extending the crisis.

In response to the major military presence near Ukraine, NATO countries consisting of France, Canada, and Poland, have deployed their own troops to the region, ensuring international support for Ukraine. In accordance with NATO’s charter “Chapter 5,” the US, Saturday, deployed over 3,000 troops to Poland to assist their Ukrainian ally’s in the event of a Russian invasion. The NATO Charter, “Chapter 5,” provides that if “a NATO Ally is the victim of an armed attack, each and every other member of the Alliance will consider this act of violence as an armed attack against all members,” which spurred the worldwide panic over the weekend. The markets reflected this, with

Stellus Capital Investment Corporation, among other banks and investment companies in Ukraine’s stock prices falling this week. However, war arm manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin stock rose.

The question though is if this regional dispute can manifest itself into an international affair. If the crisis continues on its current trajectory, Political Pundit Mo Gerstley says it can. “Some say that if Russia attacks, it would undoubtedly lead to a war, akin to that of World War I, however, I do not think that it will be Russia that would prompt such a reaction,” Mo Gerstley said in a newly released video to Redline News. “I believe that if the US decides to join the war in Europe, it would immediately turn into a world powers dispute. In World War I, because larger world powers such as Russia and France sought to defend their ally Serbia from an impending attack from Austria, it led to a worldwide dispute. Similarly, if a large power such as America chooses, to defend their smaller ally, in this case, Ukraine it could become a similar war. So, if we want to avoid world war, I suggest, staying out of this conflict.”

President Putin is unpredictable. Analysts often try to predict his next move, calling him a “soviet-era enthusiast, desperately trying to bring the nation back to the early 1970s,” but he's more than that. He’s a calculated war strategist, whose experience in both the KGB and as Secretary of the Security Council, angered him, witnessing both the peak years of the Soviet Union and the swift fall of the USSR, he will not have Russia’s “grand” reputation ruined under his reign. It is true, that if the US and NATO continue to increase their military presence in northern Ukraine it will threaten Putin's image of Russia. It will anger him and escalated the situation. Besides, it doesn't even seem like President Putin wants to actually invade. Instead, the 69-year-old Russian President doesn't want the second largest country in Europe, just behind them, to join NATO, an intergovernmental organization that directly impedes Russia’s goals. Ukraine has the unequivocal right to remain sovereign and independent from Russia and does not deserve to be invaded. but if it does occur, without civilian casualties, how is it America, or Canada, or France’s responsibility to tend to them. For if we do, this could mature into a vastly different situation, one that we've seen before. As a fellow world power, we mustn't join a dispute that could easily become a world war. So can the crisis in Ukraine lead to a World War? Yes, but only if we want it to be.