Opinion: Ukraine support needs examination

In his recent paper titled, “The Darkness Ahead: Where The Ukraine War Is Headed,” Professor John J. Mearsheimer writes:

“Western leaders frequently portray the Ukraine war as an integral part of a larger global struggle between autocracy and democracy. On top of that, the future of the sacrosanct rules-based international order is said to depend on prevailing against Russia. As King Charles said this past March, ‘The security of Europe as well as our democratic values are under threat.’”

Similarly, a resolution introduced in the U.S. Congress in April declares: “United States interests, European security, and the cause of international peace depend on … Ukrainian victory.”

Contrast these noble sentiments with the first lines of a political story by Jonathan Lemire and Alexander Ward: “Senior U.S. officials are convinced that future support for the Ukraine war – and President Joe Biden’s global reputation – hinge on the success of Ukraine’s counteroffensive. Succeed and Western military and economic aid will flow. Stumble or fail to meet expectations, and that support will likely dry up, sparking heightened calls for an expedited diplomatic resolution and hampering one of the White House’s signature international achievements.”

Putting aside for a moment the fact that the article never explains exactly what the “White House’s signature international achievement” is, the political article seems to imply that President Biden’s global reputation should rank right up there with saving the world for democracy.

If Ukraine’s counteroffensive fails, and even the mainstream media Ukris starting to realize it’s not going as well as expected, the Collective West (i.e. the United States) will stop supporting the war to save world democracy.

Many analysts have concluded that without U.S. support, the war would end in two weeks. If the war ends in two weeks, Democracy will be lost.

The Collective West is now saying that support for the war may not hinge so much on the counteroffensive, but rather on the NATO meeting scheduled for Tuesday in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Although France is in flames, Great Britain is on its third prime minister in less than a year, Turkey is opposed to Sweden’s entry in NATO and Germany is said to be in the first stages of de-industrialization, NATO is said to be united in its support for the war.

It’s time we took a hard look at why we are in Ukraine. It’s not to save the world for Democracy.

Rube Render is a former Clovis city commissioner and former chair of the Curry County Republican Party. Contact him:

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