Russia-Ukraine explained from chilling prophecy to Putin's big plan and why UK suffers

dailystar.co.uk:

Boris Johnson eerily predicting a “generation of bloodshed and misery”. His dire warning came as Russian tanks and armoured vehicles rumbled towards neighbouring Ukraine, with an invasion expected to happen at any moment.But before violent chaos ensues - here we take a look at why the invasion may happen and what Vladimir Putin has to gain from it all.It's all about keeping their former charges away from the 'West'.And in a chilling prophecy our Prime Minister has prophesied - it could lead to “the biggest war in Europe since 1945”.The answer is complex, especially considering Putin has repeatedly denied that he is planning to invade.But to put it simply, Russia is against Ukraine becoming too pally with Europe, especially with Western institutions like NATO and the EU.NATO is a defensive alliance made up of 30 countries - and Russia’s big demand is that Ukraine does not become the 31st member.

In short, this is because Russia regards NATO expanding so close to its territory as an existential threat. Putin wants Ukraine as detached from the West as possible, despite the country being an independent state since the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.However, its ties to Russia are deep, with many citizens speaking Russian.

It is also estimated that 20% of the population identify as ethnic Russians.And tensions between the pair boiled over in 2014 when Ukraine deposed its pro-Russian president, Viktor Yanukovych.Russia responded by annexing Crimea - a peninsula in Ukraine.This led to thousands of deaths after separatist rebels in the region engaged in fighting with the Ukrainian military.