In recent weeks, the simmering conflict between Ukraine and Russia has escalated with the deployment of Russian troops to the Ukrainian border. It has raised security concerns both in Europe and globally. World leaders have threatened to tighten sanctions on Russia if they go through with a full invasion of the former satellite nation, afraid that if there is a full scale invasion, it will threaten the safety of other nations on the continent. However, Biden has also been vocal about adding sanctions in the event of a Russian assault, making US citizens wonder what the United States government’s interest is in Ukraine, 5,000 miles away.

Ukraine’s significance goes back to the Cold War: the nation was an important energy supplier, nuclear station, and ideological base for the Soviet Union in the mid 1900s. Ukraine also was the final piece of the fall of the Soviet Union; when they seceded, it collapsed. For these reasons and because of the long history of Kyiv being the capital of the Russian empire for centuries, Russia has close ties to Ukraine and still sees Ukraine as inherently Russian. However, Ukraine identified more with Western Europe, following the political and social trends, adding to the tension because they don’t see themselves as a Russian territory or satellite nation. They have moved towards democracy – directly aligning themselves with the opposition to Russia and it’s government.

 

Ukraine also has geopolitical importance to Russia. NATO, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance created to combat Russian aggression by uniting nations together in the event that any of them get invaded by Russia. Currently, Ukraine is not part of NATO, and it is important to Russia to keep Ukraine out of NATO, or else NATO would have a clear foothold right on the border of Russia.

Because of Ukraines importance to Russia, the United States’ interests rest on taking away that vital puzzle piece for it’s Cold War enemy. Although the Cold War ended when the Berlin Wall came down, the battling ideologies of a polarized world still persist. The United States goal in Ukraine is to limit Russia’s influence around the world and show politically that they are the stronger one.

Since Ukraine seceded from Russia, the United States has partnered with them to remove nuclear missiles at the Budapest Memorandum and to stop the power supply of a Russian nuclear power plant. Ukraine also helped militarily in Iraq in 2003 – proving their responsiveness to the United States requests. But US support of Ukraine in the recent conflict goes deeper than supporting an ally.

The strong support for Ukraine is a political power move that is similar to the Cold War era. Since the Cold War, Russia and the United States have been in an ideological battle between democracy and dictatorship, capitalism and communism – Russia falling on the latter. The United States ability to confine Russia from spreading would effectively prove to the world that the United States’ democracy and capitalism is better for maintaining world order. Ukraine is essential to Russia’s ability to spread its influence; thus proving its importance to Washington. If the United States can pull off keeping the Kremlin from spreading its influence throughout Eastern Europe, they can continue to win the ideological war that has harnessed the world for the past 60 years.