Is Russia willing to start a conflict with the U.S. over Ukraine to have a defensive buffer against future invasions or to halt the advancement of NATO from further spreading into the Eastern Europe region?

In the span of less than a month, tension between Russia and the United States has risen due to Russian forces being amassed on the Ukrainian border. On top of pressing demands to suppress NATO, President Vladimir Putin has brought over 100,000 troops and weaponry to the border. Many feel as if Putin is planning to invade Ukraine at any moment.

During a recent meeting at Camp David, President Biden was presented several options that could change the outcome of Putin’s actions. During a news conference, Biden has said, “We’re going to increase troop presence in Poland, in Romania, et cetera, if in fact he moves,” “They are part of NATO.” This statement was most likely said to deter Putin from invading Ukraine.

Personally, I feel that the warnings and measures to persuade Putin’s impending decision will falter if NATO’s influence continues to spread further East. Russia’s current actions could very well be to secure a stronger foothold for their nation in case an invasion of any kind happens again. With many major events of the past and Ukraine not being a part of NATO, Putin’s plan might very well be to invade or have a Russian representative take over the nation.

During World War ll, Germany had easy access to Russia’s capital after invading Ukraine. This location would be a strategic buffer to have in case another invasion on Russia were to happen. So, Putin would most willingly invade Ukraine if the geographical advantages of the nation during war were very favorable.

Overall, a war between powerhouse nations may be unavoidable, but a compromise could be reached in a later meeting. Going to war would be unfavorable to both Russia and the U.S. since it may lead to other struggles and a wider variety of problems to consider amongst others.