Rethinking support for Ukraine

Posted: August 15, 2023 by chrisharper in Uncategorized
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By Christopher Harper

With the Biden administration proposing another $24 billion to support Ukraine’s military, I think it may be time to reassess my enthusiastic backing of the fight against Russia.

The United States is by far the largest donor to Ukraine. Congress has already approved $113 billion in military, economic, humanitarian, and other aid for Ukraine, including around $70 billion for security, intelligence, and additional war-fighting costs. An estimated 90 percent of that total has already been spent or designated to be spent.

In the past year, overall support for Ukraine has waned. According to a poll released by CNN last week, fifty-five percent of Americans now oppose more aid to Ukraine. The party breakdown is stark—71 percent of Republicans oppose additional assistance, while 62 percent of Democrats favor it.

Vladimir Putin is a bad guy. His invasion of Ukraine, which began in 2014 with the seizure of Crimea and the subsequent attacks a year ago, is anathema to world peace and security.

But is the wholesale support of Ukraine worth the cost and the potential downside of exhausting the ability of the United States to keep its military ready to fight against other threats, such as China?

The Heritage Foundation has put together a rather convincing case against continuing aid to Ukraine at its current levels.

In a recent opinion piece, Kevin Roberts, the president of the foundation, wrote the following:

–“It is simply untenable for Americans to bear the vast majority of the burden among our allies in standing up to threatening states.”

–“Our concentration on Ukraine has undermined our ability to address the worsening military situation in Asia, especially around Taiwan.”

–“However just and noble Ukraine’s cause is, continuing to focus on it at the expense of confronting and deterring China is not wise, moral, or conservative.”

Roberts makes a variety of good points. I take away three important ones. First, U.S. foreign policy must focus mainly on China’s economic and military threat rather than Russia’s. Second, the United States must take a strategic approach toward Ukraine rather than depleting American military stockpiles. Third, Russia poses a more significant threat to Europe than the United States, so NATO countries should assume a substantial burden of the cost. See https://www.heritage.org/asia/commentary/the-correct-conservative-approach-ukraine-shifts-the-focus-china#

I’m not arguing that we should cut off Ukraine. We just need to figure out a better strategy there and an even better one in dealing with China.

Comments
  1. James says:

    “I think it may be time to reassess my enthusiastic backing of the fight against Russia.”

    It took you a year and a half to realize this? What excuse did you tell yourself that justified US intervention in the first place? “Oh, we must support the abstract concept of State Sovereignty that no country may invade another! Ever!” How about the US’s sovereignty to not be invaded by third world denizens? “Oh, that’s different!” No, it’s not. You have been lied to by lying scumbags so long you can’t tell a grift from the truth. Remember, whenever both government and the media tell you something, they are lying. Always!

  2. Pod Hamp says:

    My enthusiasm for the Ukraine war has “evolved” over the last year of so. I have always been on Ukraine’s side, because they were invaded. And as long as the goal was repelling Russia and regaining lost territory, I was supportive. But it eventually became apparent to me the the Biden administration is using Ukraine as an opportunity to completely destroy Russia, rather than just making them leave Ukraine. That and the “forever war” concept that seems to be in vogue in Washington DC and the Pentagon/defense contractor complex, caused me to reevaluate my position. Now I see the war as a lose-lose proposition that will only succeed in destroying both Ukraine and Russia for some vague undefined geopolitical goals.

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  4. bob sykes says:

    American involvement in Ukraine has nothing to do with Ukraine per se. Ukraine is being used as a weapon to weaken and destabilize Russia. That is why the US forced Zelenskyy to cancel the ceasefire agreement initialed between Ukraine and Russia last year in Istanbul. The initial Russian maneuvers near Kiev were intended to force implementation of Minsk I and II, and they almost worked. The ceasefire would have left the Donbas region in Ukraine. but Ukraine would have had to recognize Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

    The US seriously misjudged Russia’s economic and military strength, and as a consequence has seriously weakened itself and the EU and thrown the EU into a major recession.

    Unfortunately, after decades of double dealing by the US, Russia is unwilling to negotiate with us, and will seek a victory over Ukraine and its unconditional surrender.