Since the Russian Federation invaded Ukraine, the United States has provided aid to the Ukrainian people to help them defend their country. I am embarrassed that some of our politicians have begun to waiver in their willingness to give aid to Ukraine. They argue that we would be better served by spending the money on the needs of our own people. They say that the Ukrainian government is corrupt, and that some of our aid is being misused. They point out that too much spending by our government is inflationary. They assert that American vital interests are not at risk.
It may come as a shock, but I firmly believe that American politicians do not know everything. Looking at the actions of some European nations since the invasion, we might conclude that they see things differently.
On 4 April 2023, Finland became a member of NATO.[1] Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Finland has ceased to be dominated by Russia to the degree they formerly were. It is clear that they fear Vladimir Putin’s aggressive attempts to restore the Soviet Empire.
Sweden became a neutral country in 1812, over 200 years ago.[2] In recent years, the Swedes have been strong advocates for resolving disputes between nations through diplomacy. Now, however, they want to become a member of NATO, too, and Sweden would join were it not for opposition from Turkey.
What do you suppose the Swedes and Finns know that some of our misguided American politicians do not know? Does a sharing a border with the Russian Federation change one’s point of view?
According to one source, the aid the Unites States contributes to Ukraine ranks 12th among contributing nations in terms of a percentage of our GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The nations contributing more of their GDP (from highest to lowest) are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and Czechia. Sweden’s contribution is virtually the same as ours.[3]
Admittedly, one percent of the U.S. GDP is a lot more money than one percent of Latvia’s GDP. Nevertheless, please consider the possibility that it may be more difficult for Latvia to do without a percent of their GDP than it is for us.
Look at the countries that are giving “more” to Ukraine than we are. As a rule, their former status as Soviet client states and their proximity to the Russian Federation seems to affect the amount of their contribution to Ukraine’s defense. Well, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, many of the shortsighted, geopolitically ignorant American politicians who want to reduce or eliminate our aid to Ukraine are Republicans. They point out that recent American support of military adventures overseas have not turned out well, and that we can no longer sustain our role as “policeman of the world.”
To these politicians and their supporters, I would ask, if we step aside and let Vladimir Putin have Ukraine will it end there? Clearly, the folks who live next door don’t think so. Which former Eastern Bloc country will be the next one that the hardliners in Russia want to restore to the fold? Will it be the Baltic States or Poland? They belong to NATO. If the Russian Federation invades them, the United States is obligated by treaty to defend them – with our own armed forces if necessary, (and it will be). That could lead to a regional war with Russia, and if they use their nuclear weapons, or if China gets involved, what then – World War III?
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine is too important to be made into a political football here in the United States. Republicans should not oppose support for Ukraine just because Joe Biden has provided them with assistance. This is too important.
My only issue with Biden’s support of Ukraine is that he hasn’t done enough to enable them to win. They had the Russians on the run a year ago, but they had to stop because they were out of gas and ammo. Now the Russians have had a chance to regroup and dig in. Due to geopolitics, the Ukrainians can’t flank the Russians by moving their forces through Russian territory. Consequently, the current Ukrainian offensive has been a frontal assault against fortified positions. That is a WWI style slugfest, and progress has been slow and costly.
I ask, again, that the
United States give the Ukrainians the help they need to win. I hope it is not too late. If there are problems with the way our aid is
handled – fix them. We must not,
however, allow Putin to succeed. The
risks involved in that are too great.
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