March 7, Sweden formally joined NATO, becoming the 32nd member of the organization, according to The New York Times. The growth of the organization comes as a huge blow to Vladimir Putin’s Russia and other Eastern European countries that have aligned themselves with Russia.
NATO was “created in 1949 by the United States, Canada, and several Western European nations to provide collective security against the Soviet Union,” according to the U.S. Office of the Historian.
Article Five of the North Atlantic Treaty states that, “The Parties agree that an armed attack against one or more of them in Europe or North America shall be considered an attack against them all.”
Hopefully further NATO expansion, such as the addition of Sweden, further deters Putin and Russia from expanding into countries like they have with Ukraine.
The American public, and students in general, need to keep paying attention to this war in Ukraine, because grassroots support is vital for the war effort. It is easy to forget about a conflict that floats in and out of the media cycle and whose effects are not directly felt in daily life, but this war will have dire consequences for everyone. Not paying attention to this conflict is being complicit with the atrocities being committed by Russia and the suffering of the Ukrainian people.
Feb. 25, there was a rally held at the Wisconsin Capitol Building to commemorate two years since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The event was organized by a collective called “Stand by Ukraine: United for Victory,” a group that has been working hard to raise money and support for Ukraine.
The rally came as politicians have begun to get cold feet when it comes to supporting aid for Ukraine. President Joe Biden has put increased pressure on Congress to pass a $60 billion aid package for Ukraine, but Republicans have created staunch opposition that has stalled the package, according to the Washington Post. Without this massive aid package, the war in Ukraine could take a turn for the worse — Russia has far more resources, personnel and supplies than the much smaller country of Ukraine.
Grassroots support and movements around the world have been vital for Ukraine’s defense. Organizations have sprouted up all over the world accpeting money, supplies and food to send to the soldiers and citizens of Ukraine. Some of the most prominent organizations include Vostok SOS, Women’s Solidarity Ukraine and Good Bread. These organizations do everything from documenting and spreading awareness about atrocities to sending much needed food and medical supplies into the country. Although you or I won’t be able to push the aid bill through Ukraine, the average person can make a real difference by donating to or volunteering with one of these grassroots organizations.
If Russia does succeed in taking over Ukraine, and installs a pro-Russian leader or absorbs the country entirely, the Western powers and NATO will have to issue a powerful response which could result in war, according to US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. This very well could lead to the deployment of NATO forces, and all 32 countries will mobilize to some degree to engage Russia.
If Ukraine is able to defend Ukraine and push the Russians back, Putin will not accept defeat, especially from his much smaller and less powerful rival. Putin has made various threats against nations that have helped Ukraine strike Russian territory, and several times he has threatened with nuclear retaliation, according to the New York Times. It would be foolish to rule out the idea that Putin would use such drastic methods, and this unfortunately means that a defeat for Putin could be worse news for the West.
It is likely that this war will alter the global order in one way or another. Through victory or defeat, Russia will have an extreme reaction and it will have detrimental effects. To take our attention away from this war is taking our attention away from Putin’s brutal war crimes, Russia’s imperialist rampage and allowing the outright violation of Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty.
The general public needs to stay invested and attentive to the war in Ukraine because, to put it plainly, Ukrainians need us to. University of Wisconsin students need to do everything in their power to help, through protests, reaching out to their representatives, fundraising or any other action that helps the Ukrainian people and defense.
Josh Standal ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in history and political science.
