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If war is coming, the West must decide how far it will go to defend Ukraine against Russia
Analysts are questioning whether the West can actually deter Russia, and just how far Western allies are willing to defend the country.
International
Fears of a Russian invasion of Ukraine are growing, as the military buildup at the border shows no sign of dissipating and crisis talks remain at an impasse.
As the U.S. and U.K. respond with threats of sanctions and more, and withdraw diplomatic staff from their embassies in Kyiv, analysts are questioning whether the West can actually deter Russia, and just how far Western allies are willing to defend the country.
“While Russia continues to send additional troops and weaponry to the Ukraine border, there seem to be some divisions among the Western allies about how to respond,” Helima Croft, head of global commodity strategy and Middle East and North Africa research at RBC Capital Markets, said in a note Sunday evening.
“While they have all promised a tough response, the U.K. and the U.S. have gone furthest in pledging crippling economic sanctions and indicating that Russia indeed has invasion plans and is seeking to install a pro-Kremlin leader in Kiev. By contrast, the German naval chief was forced to resign after stating that Putin “deserved respect” — and suggesting that Berlin should join forces with Moscow against Beijing — and Chancellor Scholz called for “prudence” in the application of sanctions.”
She also noted that Germany has refused to provide Ukraine with military support, in contrast to the U.S. and U.K. In addition, the country has reportedly blocked Estonia from sending German-made weapons to Ukraine.
The U.S. State Department recommended Sunday that all U.S. citizens in Ukraine leave the country immediately, citing Russia’s significant military buildup on the border. It also ordered eligible family members of personnel at its embassy in Kyiv to leave the country due to the deteriorating security conditions.
Britain, too, has reportedly started to withdraw diplomatic staff from its embassy in Ukraine, the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent said on Monday. The move comes after the U.K. accused the Kremlin on Saturday of seeking to install a pro-Russian leader in Ukraine.