Is Defending Ukraine an American National Interest?

As the Russian invasion now surpasses its one-year mark, a growing number of Republicans say the United States is providing too much support to Ukraine. Just last week, Florida Gov.—and presidential hopeful—Ron DeSantis argued that getting involved in a “territorial dispute” between Russia and Ukraine is not in US national interests and that policymakers should instead focus on “vital” issues at home, including US competition with China. This raises the questions: What are US interests in Ukraine, and why do they matter? Does supporting Ukraine put America in a weaker position to confront China? Is helping Ukraine and pursuing other U.S. interests necessarily an either-or situation? Giselle, Dalibor, and Iulia tackle these debates and more in this week’s episode of The Eastern Front. Show notes: Sign up for The Eastern Front's bi-weekly newsletter here and follow us on Twitter here; "Ron DeSantis Is Flat Out Wrong on Ukraine and the Role US Should Play" by Dalibor Rohac.