The Middle East and Ukraine

In the Vice-Presidential debate last night, the first question related to the Iranian missiles into Israel, the latest chapter in the latest ongoing crisis in what is usually referred to as the Middle East.

Of course, Ukraine is also very much a part of the political conversation as well,

This is not an analysis or opinion on either crisis.  Rather, I just want to provide a tiny bit of geography perspective, which we seldom see in words or images of the area.  The United States is inextricably tangled in all of the situations, most recently beginning with the catastrophic actions in the area of Gaza one year ago on October 7, 2023.  There is no simple solution.

Here is my original post about the current crisis in Gaza Oct 9, 2023 (scroll down to originating post content).  Feb. 16, 2022, was first mention of Putin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The archive of these posts shows 86 in which Ukraine is mentioned; 33, Gaza; 101 Israel.  We are part of the world, not apart from it…it is a fate we have chosen over most of our history as a nation.

Here and below are maps of the general areas (the pdf is of the larger region, the jpegs including primarily Lebanon, Israel and Iran: Iran Lebanon Israel area); and the below jpeg of Ukraine and environs.  Ukraine shares borders with seven other countries, most of which are NATO nations.  (The nations: Russia, Moldova, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Belarus).

I have always found the CIA Fact Book useful to get general information about international countries.

In context with the United States, and even Minnesota, Israel and Lebanon are tiny countries.  Here is a sketch map of Israel in context with Minnesota

Israel, including Gaza, 1995

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Ukraine area001 (pdf)