With the conflict between Russia and Ukraine growing each day, many Americans are wondering whether the country will or should get involved.
There is the fear that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could catapult the world into another world war, however, Ukraine is not a member of NATO and instead is receiving limited assistance from NATO countries. For a global war to occur, Russia would need to attack a country officially allied with NATO.
Currently, countries across the world have placed sanctions on Russia to deter President Vladimir Putin from continuing his attack on Ukraine. While sanctions are a usual practice when conflict arises, Putin has said that he believes these sanctions can be taken as a declaration of war.
“These sanctions that are being imposed are akin to a declaration of war but thank God it has not come to that,” Putin said, speaking to flight attendants from Russian airline Aeroflot during a televised meeting on March 5.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is encouraging Ukrainian citizens to continue fighting. In a video posted to Zelenskyy’s official Facebook Saturday, Zelenskyy said, “Every meter of our Ukrainian land reclaimed by protest is a step forward: a step toward victory.”
Zelenskyy also called on the United States for assistance regarding the establishment of a no-fly zone over Ukraine.
Putin said that if NATO countries attempted to make Ukraine a no-fly zone, the consequences would be catastrophic for the world, as they would be seen as “participants in a military conflict.” Currently, NATO countries, including the U.S., have rejected the request for the no-fly zone to avoid potentially escalating the conflict.
Whether or not the U.S. should be playing a larger role in the conflict is a controversial opinion among many. Winthrop junior political science and sociology major Jessi Lessenberry believes Western countries like the U.S. are making the conflict worse and should be focusing on doing things to help the Ukrainian people.
“The situation between Russia and Ukraine is devastating but not surprising, especially after constant provocation from many Western powers, including the United States. I think the best thing we can do right now to help aid those in Ukraine is offer any kind of humanitarian relief possible. This, most importantly, includes making space for refugees from Ukraine, especially those who are being turned away by other countries, like people of color and queer folks,” Lessenberry said.
Sophomore psychology major Giselle Mesa echoes Lessenberry’s belief that the Ukrainian people should be the focus right now and believes people should stop trying to make light of the situation.
“Oftentimes, it seems like people in Western countries want to focus primarily on how things affect them, rather than realizing that there is a country that is under attack and people that are dying. There are people out here making memes and worrying about whether they’re going to be drafted and aren’t understanding that this isn’t about them. They live in the United States, they’ll be fine, but Ukrainians are out here fighting for their lives right now,” Mesa said.
While the U.S. officially joining the war could be a possibility, many believe the Ukrainian people should be the focus right now, ensuring that people are being respectful of the ongoing conflict and that those who are fighting for the existence of their country continue to be the priority.
