It's been two weeks since Russian forces invaded Ukraine — and the consequences keep piling up, both in the region and across the world.
So far, the war has resulted in hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries, regular shelling of major cities and intense firefights between Russian soldiers and Ukrainian defense forces, which have seen an influx of civilian volunteers. More than 2 million people have fled Ukraine, with refugees entering neighboring countries in a growing humanitarian crisis.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed Russia's goal is the "demilitarization" of Ukraine, but there is little evidence to support any claims of aggression on Ukraine's part. Most experts believe Russia's end goal likely involves removing Ukraine's current pro-Western, democratic government — led by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — and installing a pro-Russian regime in its place.
The U.S. and its allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have condemned Russia's invasion, with President Joe Biden calling the war "unjustified." Multiple countries, including the U.S. have imposed a wide range of unprecedented and severe economic sanctions on Russia over the war — and they're likely not done yet. U.S. officials have hinted that more sanctions could still be in the works.
The rapidly unfolding situation has prompted some common questions: What will the war's economic effects mean for you? Will it ultimately lead to World War III? And, relatedly, how might it all end?
Here's what you need to know:
Will the Russia-Ukraine war lead to World War III?
Some in the U.S. have openly wondered if American troops could be deployed to help defend Ukraine and its people. Biden has effectively put those questions to rest, saying at the end of February that the U.S. has "no intention of fighting Russia."
There's a very big reason why: Essentially, Biden is looking to avoid direct conflict between U.S. military forces and Russia, to avoid escalating the invasion into a global conflict between Putin and the West.
"That's a world war, when Americans and Russia start shooting at one another," Biden said.
Since the invasion began, the U.S. has ordered roughly 14,000 troops to NATO ally countries in the area like Germany, Poland and Romania. The U.S. has also ordered all troops stationed in Ukraine prior to the invasion to evacuate – along with any U.S. citizens – and join American forces stationed elsewhere in Europe.
The Pentagon and Biden administration have been careful to spell out exactly why, in the hopes of keeping this conflict from spreading any further. "Our forces are not and will not be engaged in the conflict," Biden said last month, adding that any U.S. troops in Europe will only "defend our NATO allies and reassure those allies in [eastern Europe]."
