Wednesday Thoughts: 5 Reasons We Should Care About Ukraine

Ukraine’s Sovereignty Matters

Issue #64: American Government Wednesday, June 8, 2022

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded the sovereign and independent country of Ukraine for the second time in ten years. Although Ukraine is not a member of NATO (the North American Treaty Organization) nor the European Union, almost immediately U.S. President Joe Biden brought all of the NATO members together to help Ukraine defend itself against the latest Russian aggression.

Not only has it been many years since all the NATO member nations worked together on a single goal, but previously neutral Finland and Sweden have requested membership in NATO. 

Many people on the United States right-wing political spectrum have asked why the U.S. is supporting Ukraine, especially monetarily, when we have so many problems here in the United States where that money could be used. Of course, except for the COVID relief bill and the infrastructure (approved by 13 of 50 Senate Republicans) the Republicans rarely vote for funds that actually help the American people. 

Because the country is rich in natural resources and borders the Black Sea, Ukraine has been in and out of the empires of other countries for several hundred years. In December 1991, the country finally declared complete independence from the U.S.S.R. along with other republics that gained full sovereignty.

Until this latest attempt by Russia to bring Ukraine under its control, most Americans probably could not find Ukraine on a map, and many did not even know that Ukraine has its own language and centuries-old culture separate from Russia.

Actually, Ukraine is the second-largest country in Europe after Russia and is about the same size in kilometers as the state of Texas, and twice the size of Italy.

Ukraine has a very important coastline along the Black Sea but otherwise is bordered by Russia, Belarus, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Moldova.

So all of that is interesting to history buffs, but why should Americans care about a country so far away?

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Five Reasons for Americans to Care About Ukraine

1. Ukraine is a democratic country located in proximity to several non-democratic countries. As a country with a democratic governmental foundation, it is in the interest of the United States to help Ukraine maintain its own democracy.

2. The United States is a member of NATO. The NATO members have pledged to defend other member nations. Ukraine has borders with NATO members Poland, Slovakia, and Romania, and many countries are convinced that Russia will not stop with Ukraine, but will continue to invade other nearby countries, including those now a part of NATO. The U.S. is being very careful to not turn this into a conflict between America and Russia, but as a founding member and the largest member of NATO, it is incumbent on America to participate in Ukraine’s defense efforts from that standpoint.

3. Ukraine exports 10% of the grain used globally and is considered the “breadbasket” of Europe. While the U.S. counts for only 2.4% of Ukraine’s exports, the top exports from Ukraine to other countries impact the goods and services Americans consume. This war is negatively affecting Ukraine’s exports, which in turn directly or indirectly negatively affects the economies of other countries in the world, including the United States. 

4. A stable Ukraine would stabilize energy prices globally and here in America. The Republicans will never admit it, but the primary reason for the sharp rise in U.S. oil and gas prices is corporate greed by the oil companies. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent sanctions against Russia have destabilized the oil and gas markets and caused short- and long-term uncertainty in Europe, China, India, and here in the U.S. Although the U.S. imports relatively little natural gas and oil from Russia, increased global prices translate to increased prices and inflation here in America.

5. Because of its location and proximity to major international transport routes, Ukraine attracts many IT technical people, entrepreneurs, and foreign investors. There are over 511 tech companies providing outsourcing, out staffing, and direct software applications and services to global clients, including the United States. It wasn’t until the Russian invasion that I found out that four of the apps I use every day to run my business were founded in and are maintained by companies in Ukraine.

So yes, we need to worry about so many issues here at home and work even harder to maintain our own 246-year-old democracy. But we also need to uphold and defend other democracies around the world that are in danger of being taken over by the same authoritarian forces.

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