Russia-Ukraine conflict: What you need to know about possible war

There are 100,000 Russian troops stationed near that country’s border with Ukraine. Fears continue to grow that an invasion is around the corner. The United States has ordered the families of staff at the American embassy in Kyiv to leave the country and is also allowing nonessential embassy employees to leave. Meanwhile, President Biden is considering sending 5,000 troops to Eastern Europe.

Those in Michigan should be very concerned about this.” —Aaron Retish, Wayne State University

Listen: What is going on in Russia and the possibility of war in the region.

Guest

Aaron Retish is a history professor at Wayne State University with a specialization in Soviet and Russian history. Retish says Russia is worried that Ukraine is politically aligning itself with western Europe. “[Ukraine is] also the largest border separating Russia from Europe,” he says.

In addition to the humanitarian concerns, Retish says there are potential geopolitical and economic consequences of war between Russia and Ukraine. “Those in Michigan should be very concerned about this,” he says, not just “because this could be a massive European conflict, but it will change kind of global politics of possibly moving into a new Cold War.”

He says in addition to increased prices at the gas pump, the effect could be more personal. “Detroit also has one of the largest populations of Eastern Europeans in the United States. So any of your listeners will probably have relatives or a personal connection to the region.”