Enough bobsledding and ice skating, now it’s time for Russian President Vladimir Putin to partake in his favorite game – war.

Less than a week after the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics came to a close, Russia invaded Crimea under the pretense of providing protection to the ethnic Russian and Russian-speaking population, according to an article by The New York Times.

Over the past week, 16,000 Russian troops have entered the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. Boats, planes and helicopters have been transporting Russian troops to Crimea in what appears to be a state of acute operational readiness. As a result, at the last emergency U.N. Security Council meeting, Ukraine’s envoy pleaded for help in diverting a deadly crisis, according to an article by CNN.

The United States is correct in clearly and urgently instructing Putin to withdraw his forces from Crimea. Although the U.S. does not and should not plan to intervene through means of military force, there are diplomatic responses that can and should be taken. Russia has violated all kinds of laws and agreements through its invasion of Crimea and deserves repercussions for its aggressive actions.

So far, popular U.S. media sources have sidestepped the fact that Russia has specifically violated the 1994 Budapest Memorandum created when the Ukraine joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In the treaty, Ukraine committed to eliminate all nuclear weapons within its territory as long as its existing borders remained respected. The resulting memorandum also declares that the U.S., along with other countries, confirm their “commitment to seek immediate United Nations Security Council action to provide assistance to Ukraine… if Ukraine should become a victim of an act of aggression,” according to an article by the Council on Foreign Relations.

After Russia’s clear act of aggression in Crimea, Ukrainian people are citing the promises of the treaty and asking the U.S. for help. Although the U.S. is technically obliged to take action, it should continue to avoid military action at all means. However, the U.S. should and already has instigated economic sanctions against Russia. 

Due to the rising international tensions, the Pentagon halted military cooperation with Russia and suspended upcoming bilateral trade and investment talks, according to an article by USA Today. Also, the U.S. and other nations have already suspended preparations for a G-8 summit due to be held in Sochi, Russia, in June, according to NBC News.

The next step would be to suspend Russia’s membership in the G-8 indefinitely. Russia was only granted membership after it proved its country could behave like an honorable member of the international community. Obviously, Russia’s recent behavior has proven otherwise, and its status should reflect that.

Although Putin claims Russia entered Crimea solely to protect the ethnic Russian population, despite the fact that no evidence suggested there was any real threat against it, Putin’s underlying agenda to annex parts of Ukraine remains apparent.

In the last few days, unknown pro-Russian gunmen seized the government and parliament building in a well-coordinated military operation, taking down the Ukrainian flag and replacing it with a Russian one, according to an article by The Guardian.

Many suspect undercover Russian soldiers are behind the attacks. This symbolic replacement of the Ukrainian flag with a Russian flag makes Putin’s intentions clear: Russia plans to annex parts of the Ukraine, starting with Crimea. These actions may be partly or purely motivated by the location of Russia’s naval base in Sevastopol and its Black Sea Fleet, and Putin’s desire to secure it.

Although Putin appears strong in his defiant refusal to back down, in reality he is already losing. On Monday, Kremlin’s own pollster survey revealed that 73 percent of Russians reject Russia’s intervention in Ukraine. Not only does the vast majority of the Russian population disagree with Putin’s actions, but even Russia’s closest allies, such as China and Kazakhstan, want no part of this. To top it off, when markets opened back up on Monday, $60 billion in stock value wiped out over the course of one day after Russia’s intervention in Ukraine during the weekend, according to an article by TIME.

Despite overwhelming evidence pointing toward Russia’s downfall if it continues down this path, Putin is not known to admit his mistakes or willingly back down. Yet with the world’s most powerful countries and the majority of its own people turning against Russia’s actions, it will be interesting to see what move Putin chooses to make next.

Russia may have taken home the gold at the Olympics, but it will certainly not emerge a winner in its latest conquest.

– Ashley Lynn Fisher is a junior English major from Gig Harbor. She can be contacted at 335-2290 or by [email protected]. The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the staff of The Daily Evergreen or those of Student Publications.