Caring About Ukraine

Why Americans should care about Russia's invasion of Ukraine

Russia Invades

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has started. For weeks, reports have made clear that this was a distinct, if not likely, possibility as Russia built up 100,000+ troops along its border with Ukraine. While not necessarily surprising, the invasion is startling nonetheless as it’s the most aggressive action taken by a country on the European continent since World War II.

It is tempting to say, and many have, that the invasion of Ukraine is wrong, but ultimately it is halfway across the globe and we shouldn’t care much about it. This was the sentiment among many on the right, such as Ohio Senate Candidate JD Vance and conservative commentators Matt Walsh, Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, prior to the invasion. At their core, these arguments are all roughly the same: America has its own problems to worry about, so we shouldn’t bother worrying about Ukraine’s.

Ironically, this is essentially the same argument that so many progressives make for why we shouldn’t worry too much about the Uyghur persecution happening right now in China. Whether it is progressives or members of the right, the comparison of American problems with totalitarian regimes like China and Russia is despicable and ignorant. Putting aside the moral repugnancy of such a false equivalence though, I do want to address the issue of why Americans should care about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

I want to be crystal clear that when I say Americans should care I DO NOT mean that American troops should be sent to defend Ukraine. In fact, I don’t know if there are any serious conservatives that are making such an argument. The United States does not have a defensive alliance with Ukraine and the likely cost to America far outweighs the benefits of sending in troops. Yet, there is a wide gap between refusing to send in American troops and not caring at all about Ukraine.

I not only believe that Americans themselves should care about Ukraine, but the American government, along with the other members of NATO, should punish Putin with the harshest measures possible falling just short of troops.

Rules Matter

The world order that exists today is a product of the recent past, not the natural state of world affairs. In other words, the roughly 80 years of relative peace since the end of World War II is the anomaly, not the standard. This is even more remarkable when the history of Europe is considered. From Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, and Charlemagne to Napoleon, Bismarck, and Hitler, the history of Europe is one of constant invasion and conquering of other European countries.

And yet, the last 80 years have seen the territorial integrity of almost every nation-state in Europe respected. The vast majority of conflicts that have occurred have largely been civil wars or domestic unrest but not because of territorial ambitions or power grabs by foreign countries. This is particularly remarkable considering the tensions that dominated between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Again, this is not the historical norm, so what made a relatively stable world order possible?

One of, if not the main, reason is because of defense alliances like NATO that helped establish clear rules and potential consequences for breaking them. This doesn’t mean that NATO, every NATO action, or every NATO country is perfect, but generally speaking, the alliance made it clear that aggressive actions would be met with serious consequences. This forced potentially aggressive countries to reconsider whether provocative actions would be worth the cost. Without a clear response to the aggressive acts of Russia, the threat of consequences for future aggressive actions will ring hollow.

It’s similar to a classroom. Left to their own devices, students would create endless chaos, end up in trouble, and absolutely no learning would get done; therefore, a teacher is necessary. However, merely being an adult in the room is not enough to ensure that the classroom environment will be conducive to learning. If a student deliberately breaks a rule and the teacher ignores it, that student will quickly repeat the behavior. Other students will quickly think that if one student is allowed to break the rules then they can too. A stern teacher that clearly establishes rules and then enforces the rules consistently when they are broken is the remedy.

NATO has clearly established rules that the sovereignty of every nation-state ought to be respected. Russia is deliberately breaking this rule by infringing on Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent nation. Failure of NATO to make Russia suffer serious consequences will only embolden Putin further leading to more instability, war, and suffering.

For the Love of Liberty

The other reason that Americans should care about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is admittedly more abstract but important nonetheless. Americans should care about Ukraine and support measures against Russia because they love liberty. This may make many people roll their eyes as naive virtue, but I mean this in a particular way and don’t see it as optional for America.

A while ago I wrote a newsletter all about liberty; what it means and its centrality to America. In essence, I argued that liberty means both freedoms from external constraints and moral responsibilities that come with having a particular role in a broader community. I also argued that this kind of liberty was central to the American founding and a central part of American identity. This means that a love of liberty isn’t optional when we are talking about what it means to be an American.

The thing about loving liberty though is that it can’t be selective. Liberty isn’t just a good concept for America, but liberty is a moral good for all people at all times. A love of liberty means caring about liberty everywhere, including Ukraine. The ability for a nation to govern itself is a crucial part of liberty, and Russia’s invasion threatens Ukraine’s ability to do this.

I believe that defending Ukraine’s liberty would be virtuous in its own right, but I also believe there would be ancillary benefits if America did so. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion regarding the polarization and division within American society. In so many ways, there just seems to be no more common ground where people can meet and get along. I would argue that the only way to ultimately bridge this gap is a revival of Christianity, but the renewal of a common American identity could do wonders towards this goal as well. Since liberty is central to what it means to be an American, defending Ukraine’s liberty could go a long way in reminding Americans of their common identity.

I want to reiterate that I DO NOT mean sending American troops into Ukraine to repel Russian forces. When I say defending Ukraine’s liberty, I mean imposing the strictest economic sanctions, ostracizing Russia from the international stage, and supplying the Ukrainian forces with whatever supplies they need. It is important to note that these actions will still require sacrifice from Americans though. Economic sanctions will mean higher energy prices translating to higher prices of goods. Supplying Ukrainian defenses will essentially mean the American tax dollars going to Ukraine, not to America.

These sacrifices can serve as reminders for Americans of the value of liberty and their shared common identity established in liberty. I will grant that this isn’t a guarantee, as anything can become and be used as a political tool against political opponents, but everything is already being used as a political tool, so it can’t hurt much. Some people will not think that the sacrifices made by Americans for the sake of Ukraine’s liberty are worth it. I think they are mistaken. Sacrifice in the name of liberty is what America was built on, and this is a chance to reinvigorate this American identity. An America that is united around this goal leads to greater prosperity for all. That is something worth pursuing.

God Bless,

Hunter Burnett