The attack on Ukraine has met with many condemnations against Putin’s Russia. In contrast, the brutal attack continues to garner significant support for Ukraine. However, the war materials and economic aid have not come without a high cost, especially for the US, where its citizens’ worth of living is becoming unbearable no matter where you turn.
Why This Project Seems Perennial
The nature surrounding the war in Ukraine makes it look endless and puts the engaging partners in an even tighter and uncertain position. The situation is the sequel to putting one’s finger into a monkey’s ass.
While the only hope here to get your finger out would solely depend on the monkey. However, the situation in Ukraine depends on many variables strings whose predictability is not easy to untangle. Putin’s stand explains why he feels entitled to claim/occupy Ukraine. The Ukrainian position where they are not ready to cede an inch of their territories. And, of course, the two geopolitical blocks, the EU and the US, are bent on seeing that Putin fails in his attempt or at least not letting him go scut free with his atrocities in Ukraine, as was the case with Crimea.
But the confrontation with Putin’s Russia is becoming apparent daily (even though the west does not want it to be seen like that). As things are going, there’s no way the event in Ukraine would not metamorphose into a full-fledge international conflict that could involve the whole west confronting Putin’s Russia.
Take, for instance, if Ukraine became a bonafide member of the EU (which I know the process is being sped up), would its incorporation not also give it the full right to be protected by NATO as a NATO member? So, the writing on the wall is damned clear.
The Cost of Safeguarding Ukraine with Its Immediate Neighbors
The US hadn’t and doesn’t have a choice but to extend help to Ukraine’s neighbors, a plan that has been carried out systematically as presented below.
Since February 24, the United States has supplied more than $123 million to complement the work of neighboring countries and the European Union to receive and host millions of refugees, including
- Poland $48 million,
- Moldova $30 million,
- Romania $10 million,
- Hungary $9 million, and
- the Slovak Republic $4 million
The Crisis in Ukraine Is Resulting in Billions of Dollars of US Aid
The U.S.-funded humanitarian organizations are working with host governments to launch cash programs that provide refugees with temporary aid for food, accommodations, and medical care until they can work or receive social support. In addition to counseling, legal assistance, and mental health and psychological support, U.S. partners are providing health support for refugees, including infection prevention and control and sexual and reproductive health assistance, as well as providing safe drinking water, strengthening sanitation infrastructure, and providing refugees with essential household items and shelter materials.
The U.S. has deployed refugee coordinators to the region to work with the governments of neighboring countries, the UN, other humanitarian organizations, and donors. Additionally, the U.S. has distributed $5.5 million to facilitate the safe and orderly return of up to 20,000 third-country nationals to return home from Ukraine.
They are bolstering democracy and human rights in Ukraine and neighboring states. In line with President Biden’s commitment to supporting democracy and human rights globally, the United States is launching the European Democratic Resilience Initiative (EDRI), which is intended to provide at least $320 million in new funding to support societal resilience and defend human rights in Ukraine and neighboring countries.
The EDRI is expected to support media freedom and counter disinformation, increase the safety and security of activists and vulnerable groups, including LGBTQI+ persons, build resilience to strategic corruption and kleptocracy, and strengthen democratic and anti-corruption institutions and the region’s rule of law.
Other Quarters (Who Also Feel Entitled) Are Signaling Their Need for US Help
Why not? After all, what is good for the goose is also good for the gander. During a recent interview I watched, the Taiwanese prime minister’s gesture reflected his country’s expectations from the west. The queue-up he’s leading is not unexpected.
Everyone knows that Taiwan and Hong Kong are watching the development in Ukraine with rapt attention as they could see their fate with China through the smoke screen reflecting the happenings in the Putin-Ukraine scenario.
Hong Kong may likely follow suit, not to mention the constellation of countries that share a border with Ukraine — an international border of about 4,345 miles, covering the following countries.
· Moldova
· Poland
· Hungary
· Russia
· Slovakia
· Belarus
· Romania
Voracious Putin's Russia Has Sent the Scandinavian Countries Running for Cover
When you see how Finland and Sweden are looking for protection from the EU/NATO nations, they remind one of how little chicks run underneath their moms’ chicken feathers for protection.
Norway, too, is not left out of this imbroglio. With what is happening in Ukraine, the US has made that problem its own, while the EU countries feel great relief as the US has taken a significant part of that weight from them. Unfortunately, back home, we know things are not just easy for everybody, especially for the middle class and for those workers who live on paychecks.
The annoying aspect of it all is that US officials, most especially when it comes to bills that seek to better a lot of the oppressed, Congressmen and women never for once care to make the passing of the bill easy and smooth; instead, they bring in politics to delay and sometimes stroke the bill out straight away when the number of voting does not meet the level for approval.
Are you not surprised that when the bill has to do with external wars — Ukraine, a case in point — stamping used to be automatic for the Congress and the government to dish out billions and billions? Some of the times backed by executive order.
In contrast, in the world’s first power and first economy where these billions originate, its citizens struggle to meet up with their daily living expenses.
Where over sixty million cannot afford medical health care, proper housing, and feeding?
Ethical and morally, will we meet the lined-up countries’ demands and needs in the same way and strength we are dealing with Ukraine? Because what is good for the goose is also good for the gander, to say the least, relevant and appropriate.
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