David Eide – Opinion Columnist

By the time this article is published, Russia may have launched an invasion of Ukraine, an act which would spark the largest war in Europe since World War II and throw the international order into absolute chaos. While I may not be able to do anything about this potential crime against peace, I still feel the need to speak out in any way that I can. I know I probably won’t be able to make much of a difference but hopefully I can make it clear why the United States needs to stand by Ukraine in its desperate time of need.
I’m sure a lot of people aren’t quite caught up with recent developments and so a brief refresher seems in order. In 2014, Ukrainians revolted against their pro-Russian president in favor of closer ties with the European Union. In response to this, Vladimir Putin ordered the occupation and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in violation of the precepts on international law as well as providing military support to pro-Russian separatists in the far eastern Donbas region of Ukraine. This resulted in the first major war on European soil since the 1990s and spawned numerous atrocities such as the shootdown of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 which was shot down by pro-Russian forces. Eventually this war settled into an uneasy ceasefire that has simmered until the present. This began to change when Russia initiated a massive military buildup in October of 2021 that has reached a fever pitch in the last few months. It appears increasingly likely that Russia will launch a massive military offensive upon Ukraine in the coming weeks that will inflict tens of thousands of needless military and civilian deaths.

Any Russian invasion would be an act of naked imperial aggression, the likes of which have not been seen in Europe for many decades.

The United States and the European Union as well as any other country devoted to the ideals of liberal democracy and peaceful internationalism cannot let such an act go unpunished. Indeed, the United Nations Charter directly interdicts crimes against peace such as aggressive war. Furthermore, during the Nuremberg Trials many leading Nazis were directly prosecuted for committing crimes against peace. Thusly, if Russia goes forward with a full invasion of Ukraine, they will be committing a grave assault on the international order, graver than the United States unjustified invasion of Iraq in 2003.

If Russia invades Ukraine and the world stands by then the world will be entering a dark new period where the rules and norms that have prevented much intra-state warfare fall by the wayside.

What exactly is to be done then? The most extreme option I have seen proposed, often by those arguing against any action at all, is for the US to intervene directly in the crisis. This option can be dismissed out of hand, any military confrontation with Russia in Ukraine would be liable to start a broader war which would likely escalate into global thermonuclear war, which no one wants and makes this option impossible. However, there is a wide range of options available between direct military intervention and doing literally nothing as Vladimir Putin threatens to launch an unjustified and criminal assault on a sovereign nation.
There are two major approaches that should be taken simultaneously.

The first approach involves building up deterrence against Russia should it take aggressive actions against Ukraine.

This would take the form of both providing military supplies such as anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons as well as implementing major sanctions should Russia initiate military action. While these steps are unlikely to actually stop Russia if Putin truly wishes to conquer Ukraine, the idea is to raise the costs of intervention to such a point that Putin is dissuaded from taking action against Ukraine. The second approach involves providing aid directly to the Ukrainian people who will suffer immensely if their country is invaded. This can take the form of aiding Ukrainian refugees who will likely flood into Poland or Romania if an invasion occurs as it is highly unlikely that these countries will possess the resources to care for these refugees on their own. A more subtle approach that could be taken if Russia is in fact bluffing is to provide economic aid to Ukraine as the recent military buildup has dealt a major blow to the Ukrainian economy with tourism and foreign investment having essentially dried up. If Russia does not in fact invade, then the US and other western powers must provide support to the battered Ukrainian economy lest Ukraine suffer a financial meltdown.
It goes without saying that Ukraine does not deserve to be invaded by Russia. While it does struggle with corruption, many countries across the world face those same challenges without the threat of a much larger neighbor invading their country and toppling their government. Ukraine is not within the Russian “sphere of influence” as I have seen claimed as such terms exist only to justify the hegemonic dominance of certain states. The people of Ukraine have the right to choose their own government and chart the path that they want their country to take, even if that path offends Vladimir Putin’s fragile ego. Anyone who considers themselves a supporter of democracy should stand by Ukraine, to do otherwise is to abandon the key principles that have enabled the modern world.