Russia Invades Ukraine
2022 Feb 24Europe's Largest War Since 1945
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion — Europe's largest military operation since World War II. With 190,000 troops, Russia targeted Kyiv, Kharkiv, and the southern coast simultaneously. Ukrainian resistance, Western intelligence sharing, and Russian logistical failure halted the Kyiv advance within weeks.
The West froze $300 billion in Russian reserves and supplied massive military aid to Ukraine. Europe began painful decoupling from Russian energy that had supplied 40% of natural gas.
The war shattered the post-Cold War assumption that economic interdependence prevents conflict. Russia chose war despite economic costs, proving territorial ambitions outweigh material rationality for some states. The question is not whether the old order is dead, but what replaces it?