Tristen Martinez ’25
As the war between Russia and Ukraine enters its seventh month, Ukraine has been fighting back attempting to keep claiming back its territories that were taken over by Russia. Russia, however, said its president, Vladimir Putin, will annex four territories in a ceremony on September 30, 2022. This was after Putin threatened to ramp up the invasion if Ukrainian attacks continue. Ukraine is now pushing the advance in Donetsk, and now controls small areas in the eastern part of the region, such as the town of Lyman. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has urged the Russian people to stop Putin from waging war as he said, “This can still be stopped, but to stop it, you have to stop the one person in Russia who wants war more than life.” The war continues to rage, and many leaders continue to support Ukraine. It is known that Russian forces have taken heavier casualties since the attacks from Ukraine began. Putin has been desperate to get more soldiers to fight in Ukraine, that even the regular citizens are being forced to fight. Because he couldn’t get more soldiers to fight, Putin is now threatening to use nuclear and chemical weapons to put an end to the war. Hence, why many citizens of Russia attempt to flee and try to seek refuge in other countries like Georgia.
Narendra Modi, the prime minister of India, has criticized Putin for his invasion of Ukraine, stating that,“the invasion is wrong and this isn’t a time for war.” Chinese President Xi Jimping also questioned Russia on its war in Ukraine in their first meeting since the war began.
Meanwhile, Western leaders continue to accuse Russia of pipe leaks in the Nord Stream.The United States continues to send money to Ukraine, making the support reach historic records. Ukraine is not the only country under mass pressure, however.
The Taiwan Strait continues to face threats from China as the scenario of an invasion is more than possible. China has been testing its missiles and performing “military exercises” around Taiwan. Wu has shown that Taiwan will not bow down to the increasing pressure. The Ex- Military Chief of Taiwan urges combat preparedness because of how likely an invasion is to happen. Many aggressions from China continue today toward the Democratic strait. China was angered by a $1 billion arms sale for Taiwan by the United States. Because of all of that’s happening, the United States is considering putting sanctions on China. This shows that both Ukraine and Taiwan will not succumb to the pressure of their enemies.
The Salesian Spectator 