Mr. Zelensky appealed to Congress and lawmakers, urging the United States to provide financial aid in its struggle against Russia. Though many in Congress sympathized with the concerns over the conflict in Ukraine, a partisan divide was starkly present within Congress. The Republicans prioritize the issue of immigration in the U.S., and expressed reluctance to support the aid package unless Democrats made concessions on immigration policies.
In addition to this, Ukraine also requested aid from the EU to help support their effort. EU leaders discussed and came up with a $50 billion financial aid package that would be distributed to Ukraine over the course of the next 4 years. However, in an almost unanimous agreement to agree on the decision to send aid to Ukraine, Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary vetoed the notion, blocking the aid package from being sent to bolster the Ukrainian war efforts. |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky |
The events unfolding have a deep relation to the topic of polarization, which was discussed in class earlier in the year. With the government split predominantly into two parties, each believing more strongly about their own ideologies and beliefs, it leads to more difficult situations of passing legislation or bills, often leading to a stalemate in decision making.
The lack of funding jeopardizes the position of Ukraine, as most of Ukraine’s budget and resources for the war comes directly from the aid it receives from other countries. Moving forwards, with Ukraine in a precarious situation, it puts into question the country's stability and the potential impacts on the global stage.
10 comments:
I agree that polarization is becoming a bigger problem, making it harder for the government to act during emergencies. Without aid from the US and other allies, Ukraine would definitely be overwhelmed and taken over by Russia. The US not providing support might also send the wrong message that America is unwilling to help its allies. I believe Biden has begun negotiating with the Senate to reach a border deal and this connects to chapter 12 and how the president uses bargaining to navigate the legislative process.
https://www.newsweek.com/russia-ukraine-aid-alternate-history-what-zelensky-1769491
I agree with what Lawrence has to say regarding the ongoing issue that is polarization. To add on, Although Ukraine isn't technically a part of NATO, In my opinion, as a nation that is based on freedom and democracy, it is a bad look to suddenly stop supporting a nation under attack. Especially one being bullied and pushed around by Russia, a nation that is known for not having the best track record in regards to democracy. To add on, US/NATO military aid has played a huge role in Ukraine's resistance. I believe that without their military aid, Ukraine would've fallen and have been taken over by Russia by now. I believe that Congress will rethink its strategy regarding foreign relations, as I believe the reason for polarization right now is due to Congress debating whether to focus on internal issues like immigration or foreign topics like Ukraine aid.
To build off of Lawrence, it is interesting how the president and some of congress are split on the issue. President Bien had said early in the year that Russia has met the ‘ “iron will of America and the nations everywhere that refused to accept a world governed by fear and force.” While the U.S has supported Ukraine massively, the clashing position on continuing to support Ukraine does go against what the president has stated. The Republicans choice to focus on immigration adds timely pressure on the president to give in to their want because one of his top priorities is the war with Ukraine, and continuing to be an ally to them.
Something I found interesting related to this topic is that new speaker of the house Mike Johnson spoke with the white house in regards to aiding Ukraine. He stated that after speaking with the White House “We need a clear articulation of the strategy, to allow Ukraine to win. And thus far (the white houses) response have been insufficient…what the Biden administration seems to be asking for is billions of additional dollars with no appropriate oversight, no clear strategy to win… (congresses) first condition on any national security supplemental spending package is about our own national security first.” Based on this, the speaker of the house makes it sound like the White has truly no plan, and that the Biden administration is not prioritizing the U.S’s safety, which kind of paints Biden in a negative light. It implies that the priorities within the U.S defer and that plays into the stalemate in decision making.
https://www.vox.com/world-politics/24002840/ukraine-russia-war-united-states-aid-volodymyr-zelensky-vladimir-putin-europe-congress-border
I might disagree with Jake a bit on his claim about how polarization in American politics contributes to our dwindling support for Ukraine: while it certainly does play a role, I think that the lack of media coverage is perhaps more notable. Given that this conflict has been ongoing for two years, it's difficult for outlets to maintain its intrigue and public interest, and as a result, is less discussed in political spheres in general. While I acknowledge that there have been political discussions over Ukrainian aid within Congress and the White House (thanks Mia for the quotes!), I think that because the public is less involved, there is less of an incentive for politicians to take real action: after all, we did establish earlier this year that politicians care most about voters' opinions. And if voters aren't passionately involved in bringing or blocking Ukrainian aid, action will likely grow stagnant, as I think it presently largely has.
To add to what Lawrence said, in part, I agree with the trend of increasing polarization. However, I do believe that this increasing polarization is ultimately the result of differing core values between Republicans and Democrats in today's day and age. Similar to what we learned in class, I believe that at the heart of Democrats and Republicans lie starkly different values, which will create starkly different approaches to international affairs. Going back to our unit about parties, I found that in general, republicans tend to focus more on the financial side of affairs whereas democrats tend to focus more on the moral side. Overall, I agree if voters aren't extremely adamant on Ukrainian aid, nothing will change.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/11/22/both-republicans-and-democrats-prioritize-family-but-they-differ-over-other-sources-of-meaning-in-life/
It doesn't seem like Putin is planning to back down from the war anytime soon, as articulated in recent press conferences. And as a result it's only likely that Ukraine will keep asking for money / military aid down the line, and it's likely that the partisan divide will only grow as the war continues and the U.S. will become increasingly hesitant to provide aid as there doesn't seem to be an end in sight. On another note, I think Hungary vetoed the decision to provide aid because Hungary is a mostly neutral country in the midst of everything and the prime minister wanted EU countries to stop sanctioning Russia because he thought it would hurt the economy, but they kept on doing it, so it's retaliation against them.
I think I'm going to agree with both Grace and Jake on the topic of Ukraine and Russia. I think that both polarization and media coverage are factors in how much funding Ukraine gets from the US. However while many criticize the US for spending so much on a foreign war not not as much on US problems, fighting a proxy war against Russia IS helping the US. Having influence and power in Europe (especially next to Russia) is a big factor in preserving Democracy and supporting US allies. I think that if the US didn't step in or Ukraine was defeated, Russia would have the impression they could do anything and attack anyone without repercussions. The sanctions the US and NATO have imposed on Russia has shown that there will be punishments. Yet most people in the US just see Ukraine as a hole that we keep throwing money into ignoring domestic problems. I think the Hawaii Lahaina fire and funding for rebuilding highlighted those problems. Because the war has become unpopular, the polarization for funding has grown while public motivation for the war has decreased. This has lead to what Grace said which is less coverage in the media which leads to overall less public support of the issue.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67748813
https://apnews.com/article/ukraine-russia-war-zelenskyy-putin-afb3bc4714b1dca631bd4df6f931bd56
I agree with David, especially on his points regarding the ever-growing partisan divide regarding the funding of the Russian Ukraine war that has been ongoing for over a year now. Although not mentioned, there is no doubt that public opinion regarding the funding of this war has been incredibly rocky, because as stated, many republicans are opposed to it because they believe there are larger American issues at hand that should take clear precedent over the funding of Ukraine. This will no doubt lead to hesitancy to provide aid not just from republicans as public sentiment grows against it, but the Biden administration will likely have to re-consider their values heading into this seemingly contended election in 2024 as polarization splits the nation more and more every day.
I agree with Lawrence in the sense that polarization is becoming a bigger problem in the U.S and it seems like that's STOPPING some advancements to be made in the political space. This also brings up issues of Ukraines place because if Russia doesn't want to back down anytime soon or isn't planning on backing down until they get what they want, it brings up the issue of what will happen to Ukraine. I actually haven't read up on what happens to countries when the invader succeeds but I don't want to see that happen with Ukraine. I am a little confused on why America would be more worried about immigration than someone that their enemy is targeting because it does show an unwillingness for America to participate in helping their allies which isn't a good look. Hopefully Ukraine will receive more promising help in the future but I’m not sure if America will be the ones giving that aid.
It's disheartening to witness a lack of bipartisan support for aiding a nation under attack. Ukraine's fight against Russian aggression and its quest for freedom aligns with democratic values that the United States and its allies purportedly stand for. The tug-of-war between focusing on internal issues like immigration or extending aid to a nation in dire need showcases the intricate challenges policymakers face in balancing national interests and global responsibilities.
Moving forward, it's imperative for lawmakers to prioritize the broader implications of their decisions beyond partisan interests. The urgency of supporting Ukraine demands a bipartisan approach, transcending internal divisions to stand in solidarity with a nation striving for democracy and freedom. The stakes are not only about Ukraine's stability but also about upholding democratic values and America's role as a global leader in safeguarding liberty and justice.
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