If one reads or watches the news as of late, there is a worry surrounding Ukraine and Russia. Formerly a part of the Soviet Union, Ukraine is an area full of fertile grounds and as of a few years ago, is the third largest exporter of grain. The Ukraine also boasts the second largest military on the European continent, right below its neighbor to the east, Russia.

For those who aren’t exactly paying the best attention to the crisis, the people of Ukraine had been rioting in Kiev for quite some time. The images of the rioting speak of the magnitude of how big the rioting has become.

The main reason for this rioting was deposed president Vikor Yanukovych’s decision to abandon a movement toward European Union membership and lean toward Russian interests. Since being ousted by the Ukrainian Parliament and fleeing to Russia some time ago, relations between Russia and Ukraine have deteriorated toward a looming crisis between the two nations.

From a Russian standpoint, the ousting of Yanukovych is a violation of the democratic process. In layman’s terms, the people elected the former leader of Ukraine and for the Ukrainian Parliament to kick him out of office and force Yanukovych to flee to Russia was a move by what Russian officials call an ultra-nationalist government.

In response, Vladimir Putin requested that Russian troops move into Ukraine to protect Russia’s national interests. The Russian parliament accepted Putin’s request. This is due in part to Russia seeing this as trying to stabilize the area and protecting its interests.

The most pronounced interestswas the location of the Black Sea Fleet stationed in Crimea, in the extreme southern part of Ukraine.

So far, neither Ukrainian nor Russian military forces have openly engaged in conflict against one another. Once it does, however, this situation will get really ugly, really quick.

From a Western standpoint, Russian intervention in the Ukraine is seen as a direct violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty. These movements by Russia deters from Ukrainian self-determination. The United States and Great Britain have expressed displeasure in this situation and have threatened to not only disregard the upcoming G8 (Group of 8) summit in Sochi (where the Olympics were recently held as well as the upcoming Paralympics), but both nations also have mentioned kicking Russia out of the G8 and imposing heavy economic sanctions.

While outright intervention from the United States and the United Kingdom would only sour the situation, the European Union must acknowledge that one couldn’t look past the situation by shoving Russia back with threats of economic repercussions. Instead, NATO and the European Union must talk down the situation and keep it from getting worse.

Sadly, the aggression shown by all sides makes for a problem that will raise tensions between Russia and the West for years to come. The scars from the Cold War are beginning to resurface once more, and the interim government of Ukraine is feeling it the most.

Whether Crimea breaks away from Ukraine and creates its own country because of Russian influence remains to be seen.

Finally, from the standpoint of Ukraine, it’s a divided nation. By looking at the population differences within the nation, the eastern and southern portions of Ukraine are heavily influenced by Russia. Also, there is a sizable portion of ethnic Russians living in these areas.

Reports from these locations speak of cities in this region raising Russian flags. To these folks, according to numerous analysts, the Ukrainian-Russian division was artificial.

What drew our interest to this part of the world is our former web editor and good friend Danie Fierro, who was studying abroad in the Ukraine when all of these activities started. At the time this editorial is published, Danie will be traveling back to the United States.

Aided by her correspondence for The Prairie and interviews with local television stations, she gave a massive amount of insight to what was going on over in Ukraine. As the problem escalated, we at The Prairie have wished for her safety, applauded her courage and kept her in our collective thoughts should Ukraine and Russia openly engage in military conflict.

Thankfully, our dear friend is in the clear. However, this murky situation is something to keep a watchful eye on. History doesn’t repeat all of the time, but it does like to rhyme, especially when it comes to these “powder-keg” situations between powerful countries.