Words matter, especially when your country is being cut apart.
“I do not want to define it right now, but you can call it what you want,” Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany told a news conference last weekend in Brussels, where European Union leaders agreed that Russia had increased the “inflows of fighters and weapons” to Ukraine and mounted “aggression” but made no mention of any invasion.
President Obama has been equally circumspect, opting initially for the term “incursion” before denouncing Russia’s “brazen assault” on Ukraine during a speech on Wednesday in Estonia.
Globo Diplo 
Seeing as this has been an issue since early March, it’s unfortunate that Russia has been successful in continuing its pursuits. The Budapest Memorandum of 1994, signed by US, UK, Russia, and Ukraine, along with other measures, guaranteed the territorial independence and sovereignty of Ukraine, and the other nations agreed to respect those boundaries. Russia’s actions have completely contradicted the agreements made within the Memorandum, and although efforts have been made to cease Putin’s endeavors in Ukraine, none have been entirely successful, proven by the above statement from the NYT. Due to the lack of success, the international community must be called upon to take larger and more significant actions. Russia’s aggression, although claimed to be utilized in light of the ethnic Russians in Ukraine, does not at all coincide with the United Nations Charter, specifically regarding the clause about the respect of sovereignty. Yet, how can the United Nations, in addition to individual nations, inflict repercussions – more than just unsuccessful sanctioning – upon Russia while still respecting international law, sovereignty, protecting lives, and protecting markets? The answer has yet to be discovered, however actions must be taken soon, in order to prevent Russia from abusing its current power and in turn, abusing power it hopes to gain.