In February of 2014, Russia refused to recognize a new interim government created in the aftermath of the Ukrainian revolution. This action and others followed by Russia, Ukraine, the United States, and other countries eventually culminated into Russia's annexing of the Crimean Peninsula, seizing control of it. This article, written by the Wall Street Journal, references Russian president Vladimir Putin's remarks in his yearly state of the union address. In particular, the article highlights his accusation that the United States and European Union used the Crimean crisis as an excuse to encourage the placement of sanctions upon Russia, as part of a conspiracy to weaken the country. These sanctions, or economic restrictions, were created by the United Nations as punishment for countries that broke international laws.
If this issue occurred in 1823, the year the Monroe Doctrine was written, the response by the United States would be drastically different. According to the Doctrine, the United States will not become involved in any conflicts that were not directly affecting the country itself. Along with this principle of non-intervention, it said that the United States would regard any attempt by a European country to colonize North or South America as a direct threat. If these principles were followed in the case of the Crimean crisis, the United States would not be involved at all. The US's relations with Russia are not the best, but they are not considered a direct threat to the country, so the United States should not be involved. Also, Crimea, Russia, and the Ukraine are all in Western Asia, so the non-colonization rule does not apply. This shows that while the Monroe Doctrine was very effective and useful back in 1823, the circumstances have changed over the years and now intervention may be required across the globe in foreign controversies.
Marson, James, and Andy Ostroukh. The Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones & Company, 04 Dec. 2014. Web. 05 Dec. 2014.
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