The recurring shelling in Ukraine between Moscow and Kyiv has further deepened the division between Russia and the West.
With the war almost entering into it the seventh month since February, relationship ties between Russia and Western countries had deteriorated immensely with sanctions on the former by the latter coming in multifold.
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the trade relationship between Russia and countries in European Union had declined drastically over time, with most of them already looking for an alternative to the Almighty Russia energy which comprises over 40% of gas usage in the continent.
According to a source from Eurostat, Russia in 2021 was the fifth largest partner for EU exports of goods (4.1 %) and the third largest partner for EU imports of goods (7.5 %). Among the EU Member States, Germany was both the largest importer of goods from and the largest exporter of goods to Russia in 2021.
The trade relations between Russia and U.S amounted to over $20b in 2021, but have met with a sharp decline due to the prevailing situation in eastern Europe.
The inability to look for a peaceful means of negotiation to settle the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine has further severed Russia’s ties with the western countries as both consider themselves enemy states.
With much sanctioning falling on Russian goods, a situation which made President Putin initiate the policy of the rouble as a medium of payment for Russian energy had left many western countries devastated amidst the war.
With little alternative for peaceful negotiation, Russia and the west by proxy considered themselves enemies which must be fought against in all ramifications by all odds.
The west taking the first move by sanctioning top Russian government officials and oligarchs in a bid to cut the war off from becoming a tumor made the situation worst as Russia retaliate decisively the situation.
With the world facing a global food shortage due to the ongoing war, clamor had been made widespread on a possible means to look for a peaceful negotiation between the warring party, the latest which came from the UN Secretary general Antonio Guterres who warned of global hunger should the war persist.
Apart from the global food crisis caused by the war, many Russian explorers have been banned from exploration in some parts of Europe which shows how deteriorated the relationship was.
Should the west continue arming Ukraine instead of peaceful negotiation as Russia warns against, it will further exacerbate the relationship between them, as the war in proxy is a war between Russia and US-led NATO.