The topic I chose for this week one discussion is RussiaàInvasion of Ukraine. I am aware that there are plenty of issues in our country that this discussion post could be about but maybe the Army mind in me is more interested in this one. The invasion of Ukraine has many aspects of political science all throughout, but the most obvious to me is the fact that Russia doesn have a democracy and their main political stance is the thirst for power. The article states that the main way that Russia decides to try and gain power is through aggression and rash acts. It is also very political for Russia to use this invasion of Ukraine as somewhat of a test, observing how the rest of the world reacts to it, specifically NATO. I envision Russia’s government as a child who acts out in different ways to really see what and how much they are able to get away with before someone steps in and opposes them. The article also sheds light on the fact that this invasion is a way for Russia, specifically their president, to find their place and where they stand in the world.

The political commentary article I found on the invasion goes into what will be needed for the invasion to be put to an end. It references the invasion as “brutal” and sheds light on the fact that Russia will need to be defeated in order to stop, they will not concede on their own. The article also goes into the fact that negotiations are probably off the table due to the extreme views that Russia has on Ukraine truly belonging to them.

Van Brocklin, P. (2022, May 18). Political scientist sheds light on Russiaàwar with Ukraine. LAS News. https://news.las.iastate.edu/2022/05/09/political-scientist-sheds-light-on-russias-war-with-ukraine/

Ukraine: A Real Peace Will Require Change from Russia. (n.d.). United States Institute of Peace. https://www.usip.org/publications/2023/01/ukraine-real-peace-will-require-change-russia