Introduction
The Russia-Ukraine war is a significant historical moment where the world finds itself in a familiar conflict-driven situation. The war, in many ways, mirrors the Cold War, where the Soviet Union was the party pushing for changes in the world. History is a crucial component of our lives, as things that happened in the past are bound to repeat themselves in many ways. Analyzing these two wars is crucial in shaping our expectations and providing an overview of potential outcomes. The war has profoundly impacted the US and the world economically and politically; hence, analyzing these effects is essential.
Vladimir Putin’s Desire for Expansion vs the Soviet Union
Comparisons
Putin’s desire for expansion is similar to the Soviet Union’s goals during the Cold War in several ways. Similarities include nationalistic ambitions, focus on geopolitical influence, strategic military expansion, and utilization of propaganda and disinformation. According to Wishnick and Carlson, nationalistic ambitions were at the root of the ideals of the Soviet Union goals and are still core to President Putin’s desire for expansion. In both scenarios, the people involved believe they are advancing Russia’s goals on a global scale. Russia sought to assert communist ideology on the rest of the world during the Cold War. Putin intends to achieve a similar effect by being a regional superpower.
Geopolitical influence is another similarity between the two wars, and Putin intends to increase Russia’s geopolitical influence in the area past its immediate boundaries. While communism was used during the Cold War to spread Russia’s influence, Putin sought to regain influence over territories with Russian-speaking populations (Rodrigues). The war on Ukraine is based on a belief that Russia ought to be the motherland of all the countries that previously belonged to the Soviet Union, despite their current independence and sovereignty.
An additional similarity between the two wars is the use of the military to expand its reach in both scenarios. Greg and Marina postulate that the Soviet Union used direct military interventions in many countries during the Cold War as they sought to increase their reach (79). In Ukraine, Putin’s government sent Russia’s military to occupy the country, and the operation has been in motion since then. According to Greg and Marina, using propaganda and disinformation has been instrumental in both the Cold War and the Ukraine War to shape public opinion and justify their actions (80). The two wars put national media outlets to shape public opinion and push certain narratives, achieving popular backing for their actions.
Contrast
The two wars have several differences, including the ideological foundation, motivation and ideological shift, methods and approach, and international context. Communist ideologies were the foundation of the Cold War, with Russia harboring the intention of influencing the rest of the world into embracing their beliefs. Rodrigues shows that Putin’s expansion is more nationalistic and is driven by the desire to protect Russian-speaking populations and guarantee the nation’s position as an influential power in the region. The motivation for the Soviet Union was focused on challenging the capitalist West. Putin’s expansion is focused on restoring Russia’s past glory and protecting her perceived interests in response to what is seen as encroachment from the West.
There are differences in the methods and approaches used in the two expansion attempts despite the two regimes utilizing the military. Wishnick and Carlson state that the Soviet Union relied on supporting proxy wars and backing communist revolutions and movements globally. Putin’s Russia employs a combination of military interventions, economic coercion, cyber warfare, and political interference to achieve its goals. The international context for both expansion efforts is also different, with the Soviet War being set in a bipolar world, with the capitalist and communist ideologies at the center. Putin’s actions are in a multipolar world, where power dynamics are a bit more complex, with Russia seeking to navigate its role in a changing international landscape.
Impact of the War on the United States and the World
Economic Impacts
The Russia-Ukraine war has had negative impacts on political and economic systems in both the United States and globally. Economic repercussions of this war have been trade and investment disruption, energy market dynamics, and sanctions. Rose et al. elucidate that smooth global trade has been disrupted, and the flow of goods between the United States and Russia has been affected. Russia has imposed economic sanctions on the United States and its allies, limiting partnerships in key finance, energy, and defense sectors. These sanctions have left the rest of the world in a state of economic uncertainty as the investors in key sectors exercise caution, limiting economic growth globally.
The energy market dynamics have been affected by this war, with energy prices recording a significant increase. According to Cui et al., Europe has been trying to reduce dependence on Russia’s energy. These efforts will benefit the US in the long term, as they will likely take up the global energy exporter position. Sanctions imposed by Russia and the US have affected Russian investors’ interests in the US and American investors’ interests in Russia. The disruption in the trade deals by either party in the respective country has caused massive financial losses that they might not recover from as the war continues.
Political Impacts
The political consequences of the war in Ukraine are also far-reaching and affect both the US and the globe in tremendous ways. Bergeijk shows that a key political consequence of this war is reaffirming alliances, with the US and her allies in NATO shunning Russia’s actions while showing support for Ukraine. This has emphasized the importance of allies and the position of the USA on democratic governance and international law. Additionally, there has been geopolitical balancing in the world as the UA has been forced to reconsider its geopolitical strategy, especially in Europe. Increased US military aid in Eastern Europe and NATO activity are crucial highlights of this shift.
The war has informed a reevaluation of the security policies and defense strategies worldwide, with countries assessing their position individually and collectively with alliances such as NATO. Generally, geopolitical tensions are at a high level, with uncertainty prevailing in the world as the impacts of the war are unimaginable at the moment (Bergeijk). Diplomatic efforts towards resolving this conflict are also underway and seek to solve the sanctions implemented by various nations. The international community’s role has been redefined in this measure, and conflict response has seen a shift towards maintaining peace and international norms and values.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the war in Ukraine is of interest to the globe, as it mirrors the Cold War in ambition, focus on influence, military strategy, and use of disinformation. It differs from the Cold War’s use of a different ideological foundation, methods, and international context. Trade interruption, modifications in the energy market’s dynamic, and sanctions have been the economic effects of this war. The political effects of this war have been reaffirming alliances, geopolitical balancing, and reevaluating security policy. Because history and current events are interwoven and can influence decisions at a collective level for global security, comprehending them both is essential.
Works Cited
Bergeijk, Peter A. G. van. “Sanctions against the Russian War on Ukraine: Lessons from History and Current Prospects.” Journal of World Trade, vol. 56, no. 4, 2022. Web.
Cui, Lianbiao, et al. “Exploring the Risk and Economic Vulnerability of Global Energy Supply Chain Interruption in the Context of Russo-Ukrainian War.” Resources Policy, vol. 81. 2023. Web.
Greg, Simons, and Kukartseva Marina. “New Cold War and the Crisis of the Liberal Global Order.” Outlines of global Transformation, vol. 12, no. 3, 2019, pp. 77–93. Web.
Rodrigues, André Alfar. “The Past, Present and Future of the Impact of Russian Geopolitical Influence. A Cold War in Modern Times.” SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020. Web.
Rose, Adam, et al. “The Economic Impacts of Russia–Ukraine War Export Disruptions of Grain Commodities.” Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy. 2023. Web.
Wishnick, Elizabeth, and Cameron Carlson. The Russian Invasion of Ukraine Freezes Moscow’s Arctic Ambitions. Journal of Indo-Pacific Affairs, 2022.