Response from Mr. Okabe
Russian President Vladimir Putin explained that he is conducting a "special military operation," not a war, "to help the Russian-speaking Russian population" in Eastern Ukraine "because they are being persecuted by Ukraine. He also said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, Nato), a military alliance that includes the United States and many European countries, is hostile to Russia. There is no concrete evidence for these two statements, and it is safe to say that they are Russian assumptions or fake news created by the Russian side.
Meanwhile, when there was a political upheaval in Ukraine in 2014 and a change of government, Russia took advantage of the chaos and occupied the Crimean peninsula in southern Ukraine, forcing it into Russia. It has also been trying to sneak its troops into Eastern Ukraine to make it Russia's sphere of influence. Until then, Ukraine had adopted a de facto "neutrality policy," even though it had a different government. However, since 2014, in order to counter the Russian threat, it has sought to join NATO on the military side and the European Union on the economic side. Russia is, As a last resort to stall Ukraine's attempts to distance itself from Russia, they tried to seize all of Ukraine, or if that was not possible, to attack the capital city of Kiev, replace the president, and create a government that would be more convenient for Russia. It is the cause of the war. That is the cause of war.

Response from Mr. Okabe.
Whatever the reason, it was Russia that started the war. It is not right to suddenly start a war. Even if Russia had its own reasons, it did not make the utmost effort to resolve them through discussion. They also continued to lie until just before the war, saying that they would not invade. In this sense, there is no doubt that Russia is not right.

Response from Mr. Okabe
Except for Eastern and Southern Ukraine, which are war zones, even the capital city of Khiu, which was in crisis in March after being attacked by Russian troops, citizens are trying to get back to their daily lives. On the other hand, at times there are air raid warnings throughout Ukraine, so there is still no relief in sight. There are also restrictions on activities, etc., due to Ukraine's imposition of martial law, and with no airplanes flying, the only means of transportation is by train or land.

Answer from Mr. Okabe
We do not know. This war did not suddenly happen on February 24, 2022, but there was the Russian occupation of Crimea in 2014, and then the conflict in Eastern Ukraine has been going on for 8 years straight. There is a movement to build a "state" in the area occupied by Russia, which is not recognized by the rest of the world, and which calls itself by its own name, so it could be prolonged.

Answer from Mr. Okabe
I, for one, think it can be done. What you have asked here, that is, to continue to be concerned about this war and to continue to speak out critically about it, is one of the ways to end this war quickly.

Gakken Kids Net was looking for questions from everyone to ask Mr. Okabe about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, but we will no longer be accepting them on December 31, 2022. Thank you very much for the many "whys" and "wherefores" you sent in.