Flash back to February 24, 2022. As Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine and missiles lit the sky, I watched the Western world come together. In the U.S. and abroad, it seemed that firm support for Ukraine spanned the political spectrum, uniting right and left behind freedom in a battle with tyranny. Two-plus years on, that coalition appears have frayed badly. Collapsing support on the hard right has left the fate of a critical U.S. aid package uncertain. With each passing day, Ukraine’s ability to stem the tide against unprovoked Russian aggression weakens. When Congress returns from its Easter recess on Monday, April 1, its first priority should be to rush military aid to Ukraine.
The strategic imperative is clear: Continued support for Ukraine allows us to weaken the military capabilities of a key adversary at remarkably low cost. The Ukrainians have estimated Russian casualties of nearly half a million. Russian equipment losses include over 20,000 tanks and armored vehicles and nearly 700 manned aircraft. This massive degradation of Russian military capabilities has been possible only because of sustained American — and Western — support. And this support has been remarkably cheap. Most importantly, no U.S. troops are in harm’s way, as our support consists entirely of materiel and strategic advising. The State Department has tabulated the total cost of U.S. military assistance at $44 billion — a large sum, to be certain, but less than 0.3 percent of federal spending since the start of the 2022 fiscal year. It is wholly misleading to argue, as some on the far right have, that we are funding the war in Ukraine to the exclusion of domestic programs. The cost of our support is a drop in the bucket. Compared to Europe, the U.S. commitment has been relatively low: Last November, the Hudson Institute found that U.S. aid to Ukraine as a percentage of GDP ranked behind 20 European countries.
This spending comes with economic benefits for the U.S., too. As Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell highlighted in a recent speech, the U.S. weapons we ship to Ukraine must be replaced by American industry. The $44 billion we’ve spent has not only allowed the forces of freedom to hold the line against Russian aggression — it’s also helped us revitalize our defense-industrial base.
Moreover, I believe America cannot suffer the reputational harm associated with abandoning yet another key ally. The Biden administration’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan sent the world a message: America is on the retreat. Revisionist powers around the globe took note: Russia invaded Ukraine, Iran ramped up proxy attacks on U.S. personnel and global shipping — as the Department of Defense has repeatedly noted — and Hamas launched a genocidal assault on Israel. The Ukraine War does not occur in a vacuum. I imagine our adversaries — particularly, China — are watching. If we renege on our commitment to a Ukrainian victory, the message will be clear: America is not up to the task of being a 21st century superpower.
Critics say that this interconnected global thinking elevates the stakes of every international conflict, engulfing us in ‘forever war’ by making the cost of retreat too high. They have it exactly wrong. An aggressive American posture doesn’t start wars, it prevents them. American retreat on the global stage is deeply destabilizing, emboldening those who seek to undermine a world of free markets and free people. To turn our back on Ukraine would not end American involvement in Eastern Europe — it would simply delay it. History has a way of reminding us what happens when we turn a blind eye to revanchist European adventurism.
These strategic considerations are important, which is reason enough to renew our commitment to the Ukrainian cause. But most importantly, there is a moral imperative. In my opinion, the war in Ukraine is, put simply, one between good and evil. The Ukrainians are a proud people fighting fiercely for their lives and their freedom. Russia’s criminal rulers send scores of their young men to die in service of their maniacal leader’s illusions of historical grandeur while raining hellfire on an innocent nation. Rarely in history is the distinction between right and wrong so obvious. America’s dual commitment to freedom and self-government has made us the most prosperous and free nation the world has ever known. Now, we can use just a fraction of those riches to help another people, kindred in spirit, secure the blessings of liberty for themselves and their posterity. It’s our duty to do it.
