LYNCHBURG, Va. – Tensions are growing in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.
10 News spoke with Dr. Marek Payerhin, an international affairs professor at the University of Lynchburg to break down what you need to know about the situation in Eastern Europe and how it could affect America.
The conflict between Ukraine and Russia goes back decades. Present-day, Russia is sitting on Ukraine’s border just moments away from a possible invasion.
“Of course, we have the traditional rivalry of the west and the east and Ukraine for no fault of its own happens to be caught in the middle,” said Dr. Payerhin.
Dr. Payerhin says although the conflict is miles away from the US, if there is an invasion of Ukraine, Americans could feel the effects economically.
“Russia’s major forte is the abundance of energy sources that it has,” said Dr. Payerhin. “If they would stop sending gas and oil, it’s really going to have a powerful impact on the economies of Europe, very closely related to the American economies,” he said.
Ukraine is not a member of NATO, which is why American troops or supplies have not been sent to assist the country. President Joe Biden took a firm stance saying if Russia invades any neighboring NATO allies the US will take action.
“Make no mistake, if Russia pursues its plan it will be responsible for a catastrophic and needless war of choice,” said President Biden.
So far, American troops have been sent to neighboring NATO allies like Poland and Romania.