Sasha Nikanova
Contributing Writer
While the full scale invasion of Ukraine started on Feb. 24 2022, the Russo-Ukrainian war has been going on since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014. Historically, the United States (U.S.) has played a central role in helping Ukraine grow its economy and develop defense systems against Russian attacks, supporting Ukraine on its way to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and European Union (EU) membership. However, as President-elect Donald Trump threatens to withhold military aid from Ukraine unless Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reaches a peace pact with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukraine is left vulnerable to Russia’s relentless assaults, putting Ukraine’s people, culture, and borders at risk of extinction.
Since Feb. 24, 2022, the day when Russia launched its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the Biden Administration has provided Ukraine with $61 billion dollars in aid, including long-range ballistic rockets, Patriot air defense systems, and other warfare equipment. In comparison, Ukraine’s infrastructure and civilian damage is estimated at $155 billion dollars, not to mention the war’s detrimental spillover effects on Ukraine’s economy, which will hinder the country’s political and social development for years, even after the war ends.
President-elect Trump has openly shown his anti-Ukrainian sentiment, stating that the U.S. is giving “too much aid” to Ukraine. Instead of supporting Ukraine in its fight for freedom, he promised to end the war in 24 hours, yet he failed to elaborate how. He implied that he would pressure Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy into ceding the Crimea and the Donbas regions to Russia, claiming the Ukrainians living there would be “okay with being part of Russia.” However, Ukraine is an independent country that has its own unique language (Ukrainian, which the Russian people cannot speak nor understand), an authentic culture, a democratic government, and internationally-recognized borders. A poll conducted by the Kyiv International Institute of Sociology finds that 82 percent of Ukrainian citizens who continue to live in the occupied territories hold a negative attitude towards Russia. With Trump taking office in January 2025 and guaranteeing to make changes to America’s involvement in the war, Ukraine’s future is more uncertain than ever.
New developments in U.S. policy, however, demonstrate that President Biden is taking advantage of his position to help Ukraine before Trump becomes the new President. Until Nov. 17, the U.S. had upheld a ban on using U.S.-supplied long-range missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, which has had pivotal impacts on Ukraine’s warfare strategies. Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy has been pushing to lift the ban since the beginning of the war, yet the Biden administration has been reluctant to do so for fear of provoking the war to extend beyond Ukraine and escalate into World War III. While this decision is an understandable precaution on the part of the U.S., it has significantly weakened Ukraine’s position in the war against Russia, leading to unnecessary loss of life and the depletion of resources that could have been avoided altogether.
Nevertheless, Biden’s recent lift of the ban dramatically changes the course of the war by strengthening Ukraine’s bargaining power once the time to negotiate with Russia comes. Putin responded to Biden’s decision by launching an intercontinental ballistic missile into the densely-populated Ukrainian city Dnipro. For the first time in human history, this missile was used on a civilian area. That same day, Putin signed a new doctrine that would allow Russia to use nuclear weapons on countries who executed attacks against Russia, even if they are conventional (non-nuclear). As President Putin said, “We believe that we have the right to use our weapons against military facilities of the countries that allow to use their weapons against our facilities.”
Though this war might seem distant — especially to UC Santa Barbara students who are presently worried about U.S. domestic policies — it’s crucial to recognize why it matters. Putin’s statement not only violates the UN Charter of upholding global peace, but it also bears deeper ramifications on the safety of other countries, especially Ukraine’s allies and the nations of NATO, which includes the U.S. If the U.S. stops supporting Ukraine in its struggle to keep its sovereignty, we would send a message that Putin’s policies are acceptable and there will be no consequences for them. This war threatens global democracy and peace no less than Ukraine’s independence, and thus this is something that all people, no matter where they are, should care about.
It is impossible to predict what kind of changes Trump will implement in regards to Ukraine, but, whatever happens, it’s essential for the U.S. public to support Ukraine in its fight for independence, advocate for international sanctions on Russia’s military, and raise awareness about Ukraine’s fight for freedom. As Ukraine approaches nearly three years of the full-scale invasion, the urgency for proactive change has never been greater.
Sasha Nikanova, a native Ukrainian, urges UCSB students and the general American population to keep Ukraine in their minds, especially as Trump’s reluctance to stand up to Putin’s crimes grows stronger.