Things are starting to pick up again in regards to the Ukraine crisis, with Russian President Vladimir Putin holding talks in Milan with Ukrainian leader Petro Poroshenko and key EU leaders to discuss the current situation in eastern Ukraine. As a result of these talks, it would be ideal to see Russia’s cooperation with Ukraine and the EU – President Putin needs to pull back from involvement in eastern Ukraine, to not let tensions escalate further.

When Russia annexed Crimea earlier this year, the region has since become a hostile environment with pro-Russian separatists fighting against Ukrainian forces in eastern Ukraine, inspired by the annexation and enraged by the overthrow of pro-Russian elected President Viktor Yanukovych. As a result, Russian forces have been deployed to Ukraine’s eastern border, increasing the tensions in the area. Although Putin has ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Ukrainian border, it is arguably not sufficient. Russia must take a complete step back and withdraw involvement in the region altogether, at least for the time being, and let tensions decrease by not fueling pro-Russian rebels in Ukraine, even though they are denying this.

The unrest in the region is only going to continue to escalate if Putin insists that they will “not be blackmailed” by the US or the EU, and only focus on Russia’s own interests. In the long run, stability in the region would also be quite beneficial for Russia, allowing for more doors of opportunity to open for them from the West. It has been stated by many that tensions in the region have not been this high since the end of the Cold War. The current sanctions placed by the EU and the US for example, will only continue to slowly hurt the Russian economy – they are already on the brink of a recession, and the Russian economy is not the strongest to begin with. In addition, the ban on food imports from Russia has not only affected the Russian economy, but would-be importing countries in Europe as well.

Another example is the ongoing gas crisis in Ukraine – 50% of gas in the Ukraine is supplied by Russia, and with the supplies cut off, how would everyday Ukrainians be affected? Moscow cut off the supply in June due to debts, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if this isn’t the main motivation for the action. It is likely the Russia wanted to send a message to Ukraine – one in favour of the pro-Russian separatists perhaps. Russia is Europe’s largest energy provider, and the supply is mostly delivered through Ukraine.

The Milan talks have been described as ‘positive’ so far, although it is clear that Putin is not willing to back down. Currently, there have no apparent breakthroughs (perhaps because Putin isn’t willing to compromise?). Although the fact that talks are happening now to try and end the Ukrainian crisis is a good sign, these conversations will go nowhere if Russia only looks out for their own security and well-being. Even though it is understandable that one would put one’s country first, at times like this, cooperation should be the main concern of all parties involved. Russia needs to sto putting its feet down and actually try to solve the issue.

Amidst the protest and disagreements currently happening in the city of Hong Kong, it is important to remember one crucial thing – that Hong Kong is still a part of China, and it should be. That is not to say that the pro-democracy protests are in vain and are without good reason, although it is crucial that people remember the historical context of the city, and its special status as a Special Administrative Region of China along with its conditions. The situation is Hong Kong is more than just a cry for democracy, and its complexity should be properly understood. China has and arguably will always continue to be a part of Hong Kong, and even if the call for democracy succeeds, Hong Kong’s future will always be tied with that of China’s.

That being said, the student protests in favour of democracy are understandable, given the world that we live in today. The call for democracy is increasing around the world, as people have seen greater progress that come along with the freedoms that a democratic society offers. People have began to place more value on individual rights and freedoms, and believe that the state should not be constraining its citizens – following a more liberal approach. Protesters in Hong Kong are demanding that China withhold and do not vet candidates for the 2017 elections of Chief Executive, which would be composed of pro-Beijing officials. They have also demanded for current chief executive CY Leung to step down, although he has refused to resign and called the demonstrations illegal. They are not necessarily calling for radical change in the political structure of Hong Kong, and it would be absurd to predict and compare these protests to that of Tiananmen Square.

However, it is important to realise that China’s position on this issue is not completely uncalled for. It can be argued that some people overtime, have developed a skewed understanding of the “one country two systems” model that is in place in Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s relationship with China since 1997 has slowly continued to change, and because of China’s earlier promise of direct elections in 2017, the announcement that a selecting committee would have to choose the candidates for the 2017 elections fuelled current pro-democracy protests. It is therefore understandable that resentment has built up in Hong Kong – they got their hopes up and were promised universal suffrage, but China essentially took their word back and disappointed them. On that note, China’s mandate on Hong Kong has not technically changed since the British handover in 1997 – it still operates under the one country two systems model, and Beijing has stated that many are still confused by this distinction.

It is therefore wrong to assume that China’s position in the issue is wrong, and thus their actions are uncalled for. Although the people of Hong Kong should have the right to protest, talks between the two parties will essentially be the only way to resolve the issue, since both have reasonable grounds to stand their claims. In the midst of it all however, one thing will always be clear – Hong Kong is a part of China. The one country two systems model is still valid and will continue to be the model followed to manage the city politically.