In height of recent events regarding Ukraine and Russia, there are many opinions on whether the United States should get involved or not. The question is very divided on both sides of the political spectrum; many people believe that the United States should help Ukraine, whereas other believe the United States should keep to itself and only offer aid from afar (or not at all).
Regardless of one’s opinion on the issue, the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has asked the United States for more help in the war as of Wednesday, March 16th. The real question is whether one thinks it is America’s civic duty to get involved and help the people of Ukraine, or if we should worry about our own domestic issues.
One opinion piece from the New York Times shares the authors opinion on why the US should not advance its military involvement in Ukraine. The author, Tom Collina agrees that we should help the Ukrainian people, but argues that there is an extent to how far the United States should be involved. Collina expressed concerns over a nuclear war with Russia, something he thinks is feasible if we involve ourselves with Ukraine any further.
Additionally, pbs.com released that few Americans actually support having a major role in the Russian-Ukraine conflict. Only 26% of Americans (from the poll) agreed that America should involve itself majorly with the conflict, although more than half admitted they are “very concerned” about the Russian-Ukraine conflict. The poll also shared that Democrats, more than Republicans, are willing to support major involvement. Without the support of the majority of Americans, the United States may not be able to offer as much aid as it would with support. We see past examples of this in the Vietnam War, which had little support and caused many internal issues in the US.
However, there are many people who believe the United States has a moral obligation to continue helping Ukraine — because it is the right thing to do.
One article from the Atlantic states that America should have already done more to help Ukraine, and that we need to accept that responsibility and continue helping the Ukrainians in need.
As of March 20, President Biden has approved a 13.6 billion dollar support package. Additionally, the United States has sent some military and weaponry to Ukraine; however, many argue that we should not stop at just that.
Foreinaffairs.com calls upon the United States to continue to send aid and military to Ukraine to help them fend off against Russia. Time magazine also said that the US needs to do more — such as offering more weapons and supplies, offer intelligence, and working on NATO defenses — along with many other things.
Regardless of where one stands on the political spectrum, I think it is important to agree that America should do what is right for the Ukrainian people.
This is definitely a tricky topic and decision. I agree that it is important to support Ukraine, but I also understand the hesitation to spark a nuclear war. I think it’s good that we have sent support through money and weapons, but I also wouldn’t see the harm in working with NATO to share intelligence or working to supply more resources. It’s a fine line to have to walk between starting World War III and helping people in need. Overall, I think we could do more without being so involved it makes fighting worse. I appreciate that you consider both sides in your post, and I think you add a lot to the conversation.