By Natalie Armbruster
As the world watches Russia invade Ukraine, the resulting bloodshed should serve as a haunting reminder of the fallacy of U.S. foreign policy, which claims to be built upon liberal values and humanitarianism. On February 15th, a week before the invasion, Biden addressed the nation on a possible Russian incursion, concluding with a call to action that “if we do not stand for freedom where it is at risk today, we’ll surely pay a steeper price tomorrow.”
The U.S., as well as its NATO partners, have, rightfully so, refused to send troops to defend Ukraine, as it is not a NATO member. The U.S. has also rightfully recognized that it has no compelling interest in Ukraine. This is undoubted. As the world collectively prays for the Ukrainians, the U.S. should also recognize that our false humanitarian rhetoric, harmed instead of helped, before and during this crisis.
By cloaking war as anything other than nasty, brutish, and extremely long, the U.S. has prioritized its public image over the lives of Ukrainians. All war is ugly and, especially as the U.S. remains adamant that it will not intervene, our rhetoric must match the realities of war, not idealism and naivete that, as Clausewitz would say, “shut one’s eyes to what war really is, from sheer distress at its brutality.” We have hidden behind our own virtue-signaling and unfortunately turned our noses up at ample opportunities to de-escalate.
This piece was originally published in 1945 on March 2, 2022. Read more HERE.