Defending Ukraine: US must offer military support not just economic threats

The West is facing a profound series of decisions on Ukraine. Despite President Biden’s videoconference with Russian President Putin and agreement to have their teams “follow up” on diplomacy, the threat remains from Russia’s extensive and threatening military buildup on Ukraine’s borders. Maintaining Ukraine’s sovereignty and democracy is a critical challenge demanding an effective response. An appropriate military component needs to be part of that response in the event diplomacy fails.

Russia’s actions and the prospect for conflict have received widespread condemnation from the United States and its allies. Biden has engaged in extensive consultations with allies underscoring the importance of Ukraine’s sovereignty and the need to make it “very, very difficult” for an attack to succeed.