Should the U.S. Increase or Scale Back Military Aid to Ukraine?

On Wednesday, reports revealed that the United States plans to send Patriot missile defense systems to Ukraine. Many are reflecting on the increasing sophistication in weaponry provided to the Ukrainian military, and whether this aid is in the best interests of the Ukrainian people and the broader Western world.

In Favor: A writer in the Washington Post determined that “the Biden administration is too restrictive in the types of weapons it provides Ukraine,” and called for more weapons to be sent to Ukraine, stating that the “Zelensky government has proved to be a reliable partner that has abided by U.S. restrictions.” A piece in Fox News Opinion listed a number of reasons continued aid to Ukraine is in the best interests of the United States and Western Europe, determining that “Ukraine’s bravery and America’s public support have thereby strengthened U.S. national and economic security.”

Against: An opinion piece in Newsweek (Center Bias) pushed back on calls for more aid and weapons, calling Ukraine “an impoverished, corrupt, one-party state with extensive censorship” and determining that the “truly moral course of action would be to end this war with negotiations rather than prolong the suffering the Ukrainian people in a conflict they are unlikely to win.” A writer in the Jerusalem Post labeled Ukraine a “fragile democracy” and warned that providing heavier weapons, specifically nuclear weapons, to Ukraine escalates the conflict and raises the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and the West.