At 4 a.m. on Feb. 24, 2022, Russian air and land attacks changed lives of Ukranians in a heartbeat. Now more than one year later, Ukraine has held its ground against the Russian invasion, showing resilience and bravery. 

Social Science teacher Van Whipple stated, “Leading up to the break out of the war, it was obvious that an attack was imminent. While it wasn’t a surprise, I thought the attack was a strategic mistake that would have the opposite effect of what Russia wanted.” 

In this past year, many Ukrainian cities like Mariupol, Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Bakhmut, and the capital Kyiv have felt the wrath of Vladimir Putin’s desire to conquer and unite Ukraine with Russia.

The greater conflict between Russia and Ukraine began in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea, and it has continued ever since with this major escalation threatening peace in Eastern Europe and in the world. Jadon Leung ’23 sees the move by Russia’s Vladimir Putin as him trying to bring back his dream of a new Soviet Union.

Western support to Ukraine has endured this past year, with the U.S. and Germany recently announcing the delivery of 31 Abrams tanks. Experts believe that the war will shift from the air and become a land and tank battle.

Through all of this, Ukrainians have remained determined and have slowly chipped away at Russia’s initial momentum at the brink of the war. 

“As supplies dwindle and international isolation increases, Russia becomes more desperate. The damage to Russia’s reputation for strength has been demolished as has their pride, which further adds to the desperation,” Whipple commented. He added that he has the “utmost respect for the level of valor and bravery shown by Ukrainians.” 

Moon Lin ’25 added, “It’s still crazy how people are going through a war over territory in the 21st century.”

To commemorate the solemn occasion, President Joe Biden made a surprise visit to Kyiv with Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 21, and the next day from Poland, declared that Ukraine would never be a victory for Russia, and that Kyiv stands “strong, proud, tall, and free.” In March, the International Criminal Court issued war crimes charges on Russia for the kidnapping of thousands of Ukrainian children and issued a–largely symbolic–arrest warrant for Putin. 

With Russia’s war in Ukraine reaching the one year mark of a larger decade-long conflict, the sentiment for a peaceful end is shared across many countries, especially in the West. Concerns are also being expressed that China might be seeking to involve itself in the war on Russia’s side, something the U.S. condemns, further impacting US-China relations after the spy balloon incident at the end of January.

“I think a resolution will be the only way to end it because neither side can militarily take/retake the land,” Whipple expressed. 

“This means the end result will likely come at a table, and not the battlefield. However, the status of the war, and who controls what, has a big impact on what will happen at the negotiating table.”