With recent news of a potential meeting between North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and the Kremlin to discuss an arms deal, it seems that the year-long conflict between Russia and Ukraine will not end anytime soon. This might come as a shock to some Americans, since Ukraine has been seemingly in the background of news and social media feeds for some time now. If this deal goes through, it will mean countless lives are at stake. Instead of treating this news as another headline, take this opportunity to engage with and care about our allies overseas.

It might be hard for casual news readers and social media users to care about something that seems abstract and far away. However, daily life is, and will be, affected by Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
Russia is one of the world’s leading oil producers. While only 8% of that comes directly to the U.S., less oil in the EU leads to a delay in trade. Trade delays continue throughout the system, creating clog and creating less competition, which in turn increases oil prices everywhere.

With a second winter at war approaching, accessibility to oil is especially important as houses need to be heated.

But it is not just Russian exports that we need to pay attention to. Ukraine is known as the breadbasket of the world, with over 70% of the country being used as farmland producing sunflowers, corn, and wheat.

Food prices around Europe are going up as supply is going down, and people are going hungry.
Most importantly, it is important in general to keep up to date because the news affects someone else. Through the federal program Uniting for Ukraine, almost a thousand Ukrainian refugees have been relocated to Minnesota since the invasion in early 2022. People have lost their jobs, homes, and families.

It is the least we can do to stay informed and remember there is a world outside of our own. Continue to read articles, watch the news, and listen to overall coverage of the affair.