It has been two years since the beginning of Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine. In this time, the invasion has gone from being at the forefront of geopolitical discussion to being sidelined by other conflicts.
As the world changes and new crises arise, it is understandable that the public’s focus may shift. However, it is more than possible to focus on more than one problem at a time. The life, sovereignty and safety of Ukrainians, as well as that of their forming democracy, is an issue worth focusing on.
The U.S. House of Representatives seemed to agree on Saturday, April 20 when it voted overwhelmingly to approve $95 billion in foreign aid package. The majority of the aid, $60 billion, is for Ukraine.
The Senate has already approved the measure, which means that supplies and weapons could start flowing to the Ukrainian front soon.
For a while, it seemed as if the aid package might not pass. In the final months of 2023, Congressional aid to Ukraine stalled. Republicans insisted that more attention be paid to border control before they voted for more aid, while Democrats found these demands to be unreasonable. President Joe Biden announced an aid package of $250 million as the last aid package of 2023, but Congressional aid continued to hang by a thread.
At the same time, public support seemed to be waning. While a majority of Americans still support the continual aid to our allies in their fight to save their nation, the number has gone down significantly since 2022.
According to a joint survey taken by the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and Ipsos this February, only 58% of American adults support sending more military aid to Ukraine, in contrast to 79% in March 2022. This decline is called “war fatigue,” being sick and tired of war. All people should be tired of the endless wars that seem to plague this planet. However, while caving to Russian aggression would end this current war, it would likely lead to more conflict.
A month before the invasion, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated, “There are no plans or intentions to attack Ukraine…There is no reason to fear some kind of escalatory scenario.” We can look at the shattered lives, the cities reduced to rubble and the people murdered to see exactly how much faith we should put in Russia’s promises.
Some may argue that giving Russia the Donbas, the land in Eastern Ukraine that they claim to be fighting for, would not do much harm. But the Russian government lied when they said they wouldn’t invade. Why should we believe they would stop at the Donbas? Why should we believe they would stop at Ukraine?
I do not say this to cause fear. I simply mean to highlight the fact that the Russian government has not shown itself to be trustworthy and that basing our foreign policy decisions on their word would be a dangerous game to play.
It is also important to remember that land is not the only thing Ukraine would lose if Russia overtook it. Since it gained independence in 1991, Ukraine has been on a path to democracy.
In 2019, current Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy was elected. Zelenskyy ran on a platform of peace with Russia, better relations with the West, and rooting out Ukraine’s rampant corruption problem. For the most part, he made good on these promises. Ukraine was, and still is, committed to becoming a more democratic nation, and before 2022, Zelenskyy tried to negotiate with Russia, even meeting with Putin in 2019.
Russia, however, has not shown the same commitment. Vladimir Putin has been president of Russia since 2012, over 11 years. During that time, protests against his regime have been crushed, the press has been stifled, hundreds of thousands of men have been sent to fight Putin’s imperialistic war and his grip on the country is only getting tighter. He has shown himself to be a cruel and potentially unstable man, one who does not care for the lives of even his own citizens. He is willing to throw them into the front lines for as long as possible, and he is banking on Ukraine and their allies quitting before he does.
I firmly believe that Ukraine can win. But they are going to need our help to do it. The American people must show our leaders that we still care. If you have the time, I urge you to do what you can to further this cause. Contact lawmakers, donate to aid organizations, such as United24, the Ukrainian government’s official fundraising initiative, and raise awareness online or in person. Every voice brings Ukraine, and the world, closer to a brighter and more peaceful future.
Слава Україні!
Glory to Ukraine!
