Will U.S. troops be fighting in Ukraine?
Will U.S. troops be fighting in Ukraine?
There are four reasons why the answer is "no"
Russia sent armoured columns into Ukraine on February 24, 2022, defying the international community’s nearly unanimous opposition to the well-telegraphed invasion into the former Soviet Republic by the superpower.
The United Nations’ Secretary General spoke out against the invasion. Antonio Guterres, as reported by AP reported, told Russia: “Stop your troops from attacking Ukraine. Give peace a chance. Too many people have already died”
Such an unequivocal condemnation in the past might have been considered the requisite “green light” for further military action by Western countries such as Canada and the United States. But experts say to not expect American President Joe Biden to be sending U.S. troops into the fray.
The widely-heard podcast from the New York Times, The Daily, asked Times correspondent David Sanger to answer, “Why U.S. Soldiers Won’t Come to Ukraine’s Rescue.” Speaking days before the invasion began, Sanger said the answer has four reasons:
There really is not a vital national interest to send Americans in to preserve Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Russia is a superpower, and as soon as American troops are facing Russian troops, well, that’s a new world war.
U.S. President Joe Biden is someone who, for years, has believed that intervention is the last resort.
Ukraine is not (yet) a NATO membership, so there is not “legal” requirement for the U.S. and NATO (including Canada) to come to Ukraine’s defence.
According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, NATO’s Eastward expansion toward Russia’s border in the decades following the Cold War, and the U.S’s failure to guarantee Ukraine would not join the Western military alliance during recent talks between their capitals, is why Putin says he had to invade Ukraine in order to ensure his country’s security.
Learn more by listening to, “Why U.S. Soldiers Won’t Come to Ukraine’s Rescue,” by The Daily, aired on February 17, 2022. You can also read the episode’s transcript.
(Cover: Kharkiv, Ukraine - January, 31, 2022: Tanks with tankers turn around and go to the training ground. Via Shutterstock)