Grant Voytovich-First Blog Post

Grant Voytovich

First Blog Post


I think that one of the most interesting things that we talked about in class was coercion in international relations.  States are virtually in anarchy because nobody can tell the states what to do; they are making their own decisions constantly.  As a result only the strongest will survive.  The first thing that comes to mind whenever I think about international relations and anarchy is what is happening in Ukraine and Russia.  Both of these countries were in the Soviet Union until it collapsed in 1991, and there have been a series of conflicts between the two since they separated.  First, Kyiv has been trying to join NATO(North Atlantic Treaty Organization) for the last couple of years to avoid conflicts with Russia and other countries.  The continued violence in Ukraine and Russia could be the reason why Ukraine has been denied on multiple occasions.  On Russia’s side, they have argued that Ukraine being in NATO is a threat to their prominence and safety.  If Ukraine does end up joining NATO, then Russia would lose access to the highly sought after Crimean Peninsula.  This is a critical location because of its access to the Black Sea, which is very convenient for trade and transportation.  Russia would also lose its ability to influence any decisions in Ukraine.  All of these events have made the people of Ukraine extremely mad, and they have made calls to Russia to return what is theirs.  Russia has also tried to control the Donbas region of Ukraine, which borders Russia.  Russia presence moved to this region after the failed annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.  They seized multiple police offices and military offices as an attempt to gain control.  Clearly Russia sees Ukraine as an important piece to their international success, so this is why they are continuing to invade them.  This is also why Ukraine continues to try and join NATO; to get away from the Kremlin.

Both of these countries are acting as anarchies in this dispute because they continue to act on their own terms.  No governing body is telling them what to do; it is the countries themselves making these decisions.  Russia decided to take it upon themselves to try and take over the Crimean Peninsula, and more recently the Donbas region.  Ukraine decided to take it upon themselves to try and join NATO because of Russia’s actions.  The USA has also gotten involved in these disputes recently.  The US responded to the Russians moving missiles and other military weapons near Ukraine, and sent around one hundred thousand troops to that area.  This is often what happens in anarchies; chaos and disorder because of the lack of upper authority.  Coercion is dominant in international politics because of this.  Also, domestic politics do not matter much in international relations, so it doesn’t matter what is happening individually in Ukraine and Russia.  However, it is important to note that states often come to terms with each other using reason to avoid these conflicts.  But, in this scenario, Russia and Ukraine can not find a common ground with one another.  

Comments

  1. Kameron SchrefflerFebruary 8, 2022 at 10:51 AM

    First, I would like to say you made a great post and I learned a lot about the Russia and Ukraine situation. You made a great point about how anarchies truly have no checks in authority. What stops these countries from launching missiles? I thought you made other great connections throughout your paper about the role of coercion in international relations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Grant VoytovichFebruary 8, 2022 at 5:44 PM

      Thank you. I would say the first reason countries just don't launch missiles is because of morals. Also, it would probably just star a war, which no one wants.

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