Russian Agrresion and the US Response

                When Russia annexed the Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine earlier this year it exhibited hard military power. Now the state is rumored to be sending pro-Russian rebels into Ukraine proper which would qualify as exhibiting soft power. Both actions send a strong message to the rest of the world, specifically the United State and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that they are in fact a great international power and they are not to be trifled with. From an American point of view Russia is acting as an aggressor in the international community and testing the limits of their former cold war enemies. By using their immense military strength to aggress and assert power over Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula they force Ukraine to be submissive as they have more military strength. Additionally, the Russian aggressors found even more hard power in the Ukrainian citizens of the Crimean Peninsula who identify with Russian culture more than Ukrainian culture.  This territorial gain and power assertion threatens the balance of power regionally in Europe as well as in the entire International community. Said international community has condemned any violation of sovereign Ukrainian territory and watches carefully as to see if the Russian state dares to cross the border of the annexed Peninsula into the Ukrainian state. The United /states and NATO have vehemently expressed their objections to further aggression and annexations in the region despite the Ukraine not being a member of NATO.          

                Despite Russia’s recent actions that are most definitely not in the interest of the United States, some might say the U.S. is being a passive member in this situation .The United States has a considerable amount of military power too, even more than Russia itself yet no military presence in the Ukrainian region has been established. Also to the advantage of the United States, the state has the soft power of persuasion over their NATO allies. If hard military engagement was deemed necessary and appropriate by the United States their NATO allies would be expected to contribute to the cause increasing their relative power. Unfortunately, The United States has not asserted any power over Russia effectively, failing to convince them of the superior power status of the United States (and its allies) and therefore failing to truly or definitely divert the Russian state from aggressing further into sovereign Ukrainian territory. A disruption in the balance of power, both relative and absolute in Europe would negatively affect U.S. allies and therefore negatively affect the U.S.   The deceptive nature of the probable presence of placed pro-Russian rebels within Ukrainian borders increases the need for a powerful state such as the United States to intervene in order to protect a legitimate democracy as it points to an increasing threat.