In the last weeks, a growing number of people have questioned the war in Ukraine, asking whether it is worth it for the U.S. to support Ukraine and its people. Republicans in Congress are trying to block military aid to Ukraine. William Rampe ’24 argued in The Spectator why giving aid to Ukraine is a bad policy choice. I believe that he is wrong and that everyone who argues for a cut in aid to Ukraine is wrong. Supporting Ukraine is immensely important. Not only is this a war between two countries, it is a war that can lead to brutal consequences for the whole world.
Putin’s threat to Europe and the world is crucial to the importance of aid to Ukraine. Martin Wolf, an economic journalist in the Financial Times, wrote in an opinion article, “Russia is the most dangerous revanchist power on the continent since Hitler’s Germany.” The idea that the war is heading into a so-called stalemate with more aid is incorrect. Ukraine is in need of ammunition, which has caused a decrease in weaponry, leading to fewer Ukrainians being willing to volunteer for military service. If this would occur, Putin would have his dream come true of taking over the sovereign country of Ukraine, making it clear that the ideology of dictatorship would win over independence and democracy.
The atrocities that Ukraine has been subject to cannot be ignored. Mass graves and bombings have shattered the country. As the Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken wrote in a press statement, “Russia’s forces have destroyed apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, critical infrastructure…leaving thousands of innocent civilians killed or wounded.” Blinken further explains an event where Russia air-struck a theater in Mariupol clearly marked with the Russian word “children” with massive letters legible from the sky. U.S. support is important in order to stop and defend the Ukrainian people from further atrocities.
The EU’s recent $54 billion in aid shows the alliance’s unified support for Ukraine. However, the biggest donors to the war, EU institutions, have mainly aided non-military support, while the U.S. has contributed mostly military support. Therefore, U.S. support is important for the military strength of Ukraine to defend Putin. As Anne Appelbaum argues in her recent opinion article in The Atlantic, if the Republican members of the House of Representatives would succeed in cutting aid to Ukraine, it would convince the whole world that the US is an untrustworthy ally. Furthermore, Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) wrote on X, “[i]f we don’t honor our commitment to Ukraine, there’s not a single nation — friend or Foe — that will fully trust us again.” Accordingly, if the U.S. cuts aid to Ukraine, it sends a message to all the leaders around the world that Western Democracies are not unified in defending their values, making Russia’s and China’s dreams of a fragmented West come true.
In the end, giving aid to Ukraine has never been more important. With the threats and atrocities already committed, it is clear that Putin is not giving up. His dream of having Ukraine be coerced into Russian control is not disappearing. Accordingly, it is important that the West continues to support Ukraine to show its stance for not tolerating a tyrannical leader like Putin. Furthermore, aid to Ukraine is not just an ideological principle but a strategy to prevent further catastrophes in the world if Putin were to take over Ukraine. With the Republicans in Congress yet to convince Congress to cut aid, I find it immensely important this will not happen. We must remember that other countries are watching this conflict and seeing if the U.S. can be trusted.
