The United States has been supportive of Ukraine and used resources to restrict the Russian military invasion. Under the NATO agreement, the U.S. should continue to help Ukraine.

The United States has a responsibility to keep aiding Ukraine. The NATO agreement states that its purpose is to “guarantee the freedom and security of its members through political and military means.” That includes continuing to provide aid to Ukraine, ranging from medical to food, to shelter. Ukraine has been a loyal member of NATO since 1992, to abandon the agreement now would be adverse.

Russia is a safety threat to Ukraine. Russia has a history of attacking Ukraine and sending forces to invade and control the country. After the Ukraine revolution in 2014, the two countries have been hostile with Russia being the more aggressive approach. Their latest invasion was on February 24th with the war lasting more than a year. Russia has sent bombs and soldiers to occupy Ukrainian land, making it impossible for citizens to go about their normal life. There has been constant destruction and war around them; this includes the war of propaganda that Russia is sending over. Russia is trying to cover up aspects of their invasion to get people to ignore the struggle in the rest of the world. They have been through new articles and videos claiming that Russia is in better shape than we are led to believe.

The U.S. has the strength and forces to combat Russia, whereas many Ukrinas citizens are currently less equipped. The U.S. would be able to provide resources for the people in need and forces to protect from the invasions. Our military expenses are vast and our military is one of the largest in the world, meaning the U.S. can afford to send some military help. This way they would be able to prevent Russia from continuing to try to take control of Ukraine while also giving them means to recover.

Biden has shown his support for Ukraine but hasn’t made more than a few speeches and claims over the last year. Many of the donations that Ukraine has received are from the general public as well as government funding. Dollars from individuals show U.S. support for Ukraine. Send a message to Biden and NATO by donating what you can. The U.S. continuing to show their support will allow Ukrainian citizens to have a safe place to live, something every human deserves.

The Russia-Ukraine war has been one of the most covered stories worldwide over the past year. Having invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, the one-year mark of Russian forces moving deeper into Ukraine’s land has recently passed, bringing up the cause for concern regarding Ukraine and its people.

The United States government has sent Ukraine weapons, missiles, ammunition, and defense systems totaling $47 million to protect their country against Russian soldiers. However, at this point, the United States should restrain from sending additional resources, soldiers, and support.

While the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) released a statement at the war’s height condemning Russia’s action as their invasion “undermines international security and stability, and is a blatant violation of international law,” the risk of terminating the United States-Russia international relationship would be detrimental to people across the globe. While it has always been shaky, unclear, and tension-filled, the U.S. cannot let this relationship fade at the risk of terminating their far-too-valuable relationship.

Over the past several decades, the U.S. and Russia have maintained a critical relationship based on the balance of power and shared objectives. Nuclear warfare, the elimination of terrorism, space exploration, and climate change are all examples of tasks that the two countries have worked together to fix or achieve. By showing full support for Ukraine, while the humanitarian thing to do, the U.S. dismantles the years of correspondence with the mighty, threatening, and combative nation of Russia.

While the U.S. has the full ability to assist Ukraine–a country they have also worked with in the past–it is simply not the most strategic move to put more resources and soldiers behind Russian lines. Being the world’s most influential nation, the U.S. must take a step back, providing cautious assistance to Ukraine and refraining from interfering with the threatening Vladimir Putin.

It remains a solid strategy to observe the Russia-Ukraine war from a distance, as the U.S. can still make its impact felt without damaging decades worth of relationships and global communication. Using NATO as a resource, the U.S. should continue to combat the issue by working with both sides. Taking the Russian side would cause outrage amidst their undeniable human-rights violations, but taking the Ukrainian side puts the future of the U.S.–and the world–in jeopardy.

No matter how harmful the actions of Vladimir Putin and the Russian military are, the U.S. cannot afford to burn that bridge. While the Russians will always and forever be seen on the wrong side of this war, far too many things could go wrong with America’s full support, resources, money, and military strength facing the aggressive Russian government.

Being filled with heart-wrenching stories from Ukrainians, it is important to take to social media and discuss the U.S. and their critical relationship with Russia. It may not be the humanitarian thing to do, but this relationship will steady the hand of international relations around the world, and its importance should be shared just as frequently.