Ukraine a proxy war for U.S. and Russia?

The Ukraine may be bracing for a full-scale invasion by Russia, but a coming war may be both more subtle and more dangerous than most people believe.

Since Vladimir Putin took control of Crimea, militia forces have seized city council and local government offices around the Ukraine. These soldiers of fortune have no insignia and do not acknowledge an allegiance to either Moscow or Kiev.

The interim government in the Ukrainian capital announced it has secured support from the United States to eliminate the militants. Volodymyr Rybak, a local politician, was recently found dead, showing signs of physical torture. This incident has caused the Ukrainian government to resume what it describes as an “anti-terrorist” operation in the eastern half of their country.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov expressed suspicions about the timing of the announcement.

He said it was “quite telling” the government in Kiev “chose the moment of the Vice President of the US’ visit to announce the resumption of this operation.”

Vice President Joe Biden recently completed a trip to Kiev, where he announced a $50 million aid package for the Ukraine. This includes $8 million in non-lethal assistance for armed forces of the interim government. The United States will also be moving 600 additional troops to eastern European nations in response to the crisis, according to the Pentagon.

Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Yarema said, “We have secured US support and they will not leave us face to face with the aggressor.”

A pact to maintain peace in the eastern parts of the nation was signed in Geneva last week, but that agreement may soon fall apart.

Throughout the Cold War, the United States and Russia never went to outright war against each other, but fought by proxy. In conflicts throughout the world, other nations battled using weapons and money supplied by the superpowers. The current situation in the Ukraine could quickly fall into another dangerous conflict, with 45 million people caught in the middle.