March 12, 2014

Editorial Staff Opinion

As the issues in Ukraine continue to escalate, so does involvement from other countries.
Recently added to the list of countries having some sort of participation in the Eastern European political clash is the United States.
No matter how much its stake in the conflict increases, however, the United States should avoid military backing of Ukraine at all costs.
A little more than a week ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin ignored vague warnings from President Barack Obama and invaded Ukraine.
After a referendum was proposed by Russia to annex Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula, where many ethnic Russians reside, more threats were directed toward Russia from the U.S.
Speaking to CNN about sanctions already put in place after Russia invaded Ukraine, Deputy National Security Adviser Tony Blinken hinted toward intensifying United States involvement.
“This is the first step, and we’ve put in place a very flexible and very tough mechanism to increase the pressure, to increase the sanctions,” Blinken said.
For Americans, and specifically college students, it would be best if these measures would not include military intervention.
The current United States national debt sits at about $17.5 trillion. On average, the cost of a United States war is about $1 trillion since 1900, adjusted for inflation, according to a Congressional Research Service report.
The added debt would continue to be heaped on the backs of Americans, including college-aged citizens who will enter the workforce in the next five years.
Ukraine does deserve backing from the United States. The Ukrainian people are revolting, in short, against political corruption and police violence.
As a country that was founded on a war against political corruption, the cause is something the United States should get behind, but there are many reasons why military support should be out of the question.
Taken into account in the Congressional Research Service report is the current United States military occupation in Iraq, Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries. This presents another reason why sending our troops to Ukraine would be a bad idea.
We already have troops in countries across the Middle Eastern portion of Asia, so increasing the number of troops we have overseas would be sending more people in our generation to war. The average age of enlisted active duty United States military members is 28, according to Defense Manpower Research.
America should focus on rehabilitating and fostering growth in the veterans it has already created through the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, not creating new ones.
There are other routes to take when sanctioning Russia that are not through our military.
The United States already has imposed some sanctions against Russia, including visa bans and asset freezes on some Russian officials. The U.S. government also has discussed preventing United States corporations from doing business with Russia.
Using these sanctions to isolate Russia is a better decision for the United States than sending our military. If the United States needs to take its sanctions further, it should only be in the form of leading the way on isolating Russia from other countries as well, such as proposing sanctions through international organizations like the World Trade Organization or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
As the conflict between Ukraine and Russia continues to grow, there is no doubt other countries will become involved. It would be ideal for American citizens and young adults if the United States does not take any military action in the dispute.