The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has confirmed that 40,000 troops are on the Ukrainian border. This is the first time that the US-led military entity has disclosed the number of personnel in Eastern Europe.
This Tuesday (15/3), in an interview broadcast live from Brussels, the secretary general of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, made important warnings about the resurgence of the war, which completes 20 days.
The biggest concern is the use of chemical and nuclear weapons by the Russian army. In addition to NATO, the United States and the United Kingdom accuse Russia of planning this type of attack.
Stoltenberg reaffirmed the commitment to defend the allied countries and the friendly nations of the group. “Our primary responsibility is to defend our NATO allies. Russia knows this. The allies are watching,” he stressed.
The representative of the entity added: “We are also concerned that they are actually planning this [uso de armas químicas e nucleares]. Any use of chemical weapons will be a violation of international law.”
Under heavy bombardment, representatives of Presidents Vladimir Putin, of Russia, and Volodymyr Zelensky, of Ukraine, are once again debating conditions for peace between the countries, even if momentarily.
Click here for full coverage of the war in Ukraine.
The negotiation of a ceasefire will resume after the meeting on Monday (14/3) ends with a “technical pause”. This formality means a lack of political-diplomatic agreement.
Polish Prime Ministers Mateusz Morawiecki; from the Czech Republic, Petr Fiala; and Slovenia, Janez Janša, traveled to Kiev on Tuesday.
The visit is a sign of support for Ukraine on the part of the European Union. They are the first leaders to visit the Ukrainian capital since Russia invaded the country on February 24.
At extreme risk, Kiev Mayor Wladimir Klitschko has decreed a 35-hour curfew in the city, where the country’s power is concentrated. The measure will be valid from the night of this Tuesday until Thursday (17/3).

The troubled relationship between Russia and Ukraine, which sparked armed conflict, has the world on alert for a possible major war.Anastasia Vlasova/Getty Images

The confusion, however, does not come from today. In addition to the dispute over economic and geopolitical influence, a historical context that relates to the 19th century may explain the conflict. Agustavop/ Getty Images

Ukraine’s strategic location, between Russia and the eastern part of Europe, has served as a security zone for the former USSR for years. Therefore, the Russians consider it essential to maintain influence over the neighboring country and avoid advances by possible adversaries there.pawel.gaul/Getty Images

This is because the large Ukrainian territory prevents successful military attacks against the Russian capital. A Ukraine allied with Russia leaves possible enemies coming from Europe more than 1,500 km from Moscow. An opposing Ukraine, however, narrows the distance to just over 600 kmGetty Images

Sensing Ukraine’s interest in joining NATO, which is led by the United States, and being part of the European Union, Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to attack the country if the Ukrainians did not give up on the idea.André Borges/Esp. metropolises

One of Putin’s demands, therefore, is for the West to ensure that Ukraine does not join the US-led organization. For Russians, NATO’s presence and support for Ukrainians constitute threats to the country’s security.Poca/Getty Images

Russia began military training with ally Belarus, which borders Ukraine, and invaded Ukrainian territory on February 24.Kutay Tanir/Getty Images

On the other hand, NATO, made up of 30 countries, reinforced its presence in Eastern Europe and placed military installations on alert. NATO/Disclosure

Despite gaining the spotlight in recent weeks, the new chapter of the standoff between the two nations was restarted at the end of 2021, when Putin deployed 100,000 troops on the border with Ukraine. The two countries, which were once part of the Soviet Union, have an old dispute over territory.AFP

In addition, for the Ukrainian government, the conflict is a kind of continuation of the Russian invasion of the Crimean peninsula, which took place in 2014 and caused more than 10,000 deaths. At the time, Moscow took advantage of a political crisis in the neighboring country and the strong presence of Russians in the region to incorporate it into its territory.Elena Aleksandrovna Ermakova/ Getty Images

Since then, Ukrainians have accused the Russians of using hybrid warfare tactics to constantly destabilize the country and fund separatist groups that undermine state sovereignty.Will & Deni McIntyre/Getty Images

The conflict, which began on February 24, is already impacting the entire world economically. In Western Europe, for example, countries fear the interruption of natural gas supply, which is essential for many of them.Vostok / Getty Images

Although Brazil does not have such relevant economic ties with the two nations, it could be affected by the likely spike in oil prices. Vinícius Schmidt/Metropolis
0
Russian advance
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said Putin’s troops had taken control of Kherson, home to 250,000 people.
This was the first major urban center that fell into Russian hands after the invasion of Ukraine. Russia planned to dominate key cities to gain access to the Black Sea, an important trade route.
In the second consecutive day of attacks on residential buildings in Kiev, two more people died after Russian bombing on Tuesday. According to Ukraine’s emergency service, 46 people had to be rescued.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the refugee agency of the United Nations (UN), estimates that 3 million people fled Ukraine, 1.4 million of them children.