The war between Russia and Ukraine, which has been ongoing since February 2022, has continued to escalate over political tensions and territorial disputes. As of late September 2024, Ukrainian forces are still actively defending against the multitude of Russian offensives, especially near Bakhmut and Lyman. Russia has started to intensify their artillery and air strikes affecting populated civilian regions. With the war killing or wounding more than a 1 million people on both sides, it has become a more urgent matter before more innocent civilians are killed.
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| Harris shaking hands with Zelensky after giving speech pledging support for Ukraine |
As the war continues, internal military aid remains a crucial part of Ukraine’s defense. President Volodymyr Zelensky recently met with Vice President Kamala Harris at Washington D.C during his U.S. visit in late September 2024. As Zelensky fears that time is running out for Ukraine’s war effort, Harris reaffirms the U.S.'s unwavering support for Ukraine in its defense against Russia; this emphasizes the strategic importance of continued aid. The Biden administration has allocated the remaining funding already approved by Congress into the war effort. With the assistance of Ukraine being a controversial topic at this time, her strong stance has raised some criticism with the people. However, she continues to stand her ground on how she is “proud to work for President Biden and 50 other countries,” which is specifically opposed by Trump. During his campaign in North Carolina, he states that he believes Zelensky does not actually attempt to end the war and rather comes to the US to make money. However, Trump also insists that he will meet with Zelensky sometime during his trip to the U.S. The Democrats have portrayed Trump as “too embracing of authoritarians,” in which Republicans oppose the increased funding and supplies given to Ukraine.
This dichotomy reflects a broader debate in American society about the role of the U.S. in international conflicts and the extent of its responsibility to assist allies. With various political figures leveraging the Ukraine situation to bolster their campaigns, public opinion is becoming increasingly polarized. Some view military aid as a moral imperative, while others question its practicality in light of America's own economic challenges. This political landscape creates a backdrop of uncertainty as the election approaches, raising the stakes for both candidates and voters.
The ongoing war in Ukraine has now become a pivotal issue leading up to the 2024 presidential election. With Zelensky emphasizing the urgency of military aid, it continues the moral dilemma of what the US should spend their funds on. With rising concerns of national debt and fiscal responsibility, many argue that continued funding would be unsustainable. With remarks that Ukraine aid “puts America last” many argue that the US has more urgent issues to address within its own borders. The debt of the United States has been rising rapidly within the recent years and the decision to spend more and more on a potential stalemate has become a critical topic of discussion. As the conflict continues and the election approaches, the interplay between foreign policy and domestic concerns will undoubtedly shape the future of the US governance and its role in foreign affairs.
Source:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67649497
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/09/26/biden-harris-zelensky-weapons-russia/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/watch-harris-meets-with-ukraines-zelenskyy-as-russia-makes-nuclear-warning
https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4901204-zelensky-asks-biden-for-weapons-strike-russia/
6 comments:
It feels like after the first few months, the Ukraine war has just come up in media once every few months along the headlines that America is continuing to give aid and that the war is no closer to ending. In the beginning, there were constantly videos being posted of missiles and dead people, and now it feels like the media has just forgotten about the killing and the only coverage of the war is just regarding the controversy of America's financial support to Ukraine which has just become nothing more than a relatively uncovered political argument. I think that the media needs to cover the war more and bring it back to headlines to remind the public that the issue of the war is not whether or not we are spending money on it but the fact that people are dying and nothing we have done has help bring the war closer to an end. Something needs to change in the way America is getting involved, because right now it seems we are just draining money into it to continue a stalemate that clearly isn't going to end like this. If we want to actually help end the war, something else needs to be done.
I do agree with the statement that Trump is to friendly to authoritarian government, as during his presidency he had many meetings with Putin and Kim Jong Un complimenting both leaders as "powerful people." Additionally, the opposition to government funding to Ukraine seems counter-intuitive as the sooner the war ends the better for the people and US as Ukraine is a large supplier of oil for the west and other countries. Furthermore, the fact that Trump wants to bash Zelensky yet still meet him suggests that Trump may want to have his cake and eat it to, both admonishing the leader and showing deep support to their cause. Overall, the entire situation is quite clear cut in my eyes, the sooner we can send support and end the deaths of innocent civilians the better.
While I do agree with what Rocco is saying about needing to end the war as soon as possible and that more US support is necessary, I don't think that support can continue to come in the form of money. Additionally, just as Adam talks about, the US is already sending money is it not helping the war at all, therefore, it might be time to consider a different type of aid. But at the same time, there is the argument that both political parties have just turned this into nothing more than a talking piece and a side to take. I see a real connection to the Vietnam war when the war reached a point where the US was too far in to pull out our troops. Harris and the Democrats have firmly taken the side of supporting this war and will continue to do so even if it isn't financially responsible and the Trump will continue to oppose it, simply because that is the sides they have already taken. Because of these firm sides that have been taken, nothing is actually being changed or done to try and help the situation. The public needs to see this political stalemate and get involved, because continuing on this course, will not only cost the American economy, but it will also continue to mean people in Ukraine are dying.
It's interesting to see how the media has changed its writing format and headlines regarding the Ukraine Russia war as it has escalated over the years. Because the media is attention driven, they often will publish articles and headlines showing the brutality and injustice of a war early on, however to keep views at a maximum they alter the headlines from the brutality of the war to new information often regarding financial, political, and foreign aspects. If anything, as a war progresses the casualties and violence increase however I do feel like this is often underemphasized by the media, when they run out of ways to make the violence entertaining. I also think it's interesting that the U.S.'s approach has been to throw money at the problem when their solution doesn't seem to be working. In a capitalists society we live under the myth that money solves all problems, when in reality currency is not the ultimate savior. Hopefully Harris can come up with a more inovative solution to present to the world and boost her campaign even greater than it already is.
It is fascinating to me that the conditions of aid are questioned when this is a situation that is a humanitarian, and ethical crises; and thus is of international interest and compassion. Of course the U.S. has areas in which funding could be spent otherwise; but I do not see the cutting of these specific funds as the way to do so-- if "solving" issues on the domestic front means in turn, creating an international catastrophe. I think Adam brings up a great point about how most of the headlines around Ukraine are centered around the U.S. funds for this war- however, the situation is remaining at a complete point of unrest, with there being a multitude of suffering in this territories that isn't quite effectively covered by the media. It seems to be a byproduct of the medias attitude that deems once an issue remains at one point-- it looses traction; However obviously, this devastating war should be on the minds of the nation, and the world at the large. In the words of the department of state, this attack, and violence that has been permeating has been a result of a "premeditated, unprovoked, and unjustified war"; and given the relation the U.S. has to Russia the aggressor of the war, it is imperative that officials in our country continue to get involved, and continue to send aid, especially in the financial sense. It is obvious that this war is underscoring a bigger component of the aggression in Russia that could be easily directed at the U.S. if a different policy is assumed that is less extensive; these meetings on aid, and unwavering support to Ukraine and it's people are valid.
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