Topics / Geopolitics
Should the West continue military support to Ukraine?
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Western governments have given Ukraine substantial military aid. People disagree about whether that support should be increased, continued alongside an active push for negotiations, or reduced while seeking a settlement now, weighing justice, security, human cost, escalation risk and what is militarily achievable.
Positions
- Yes, increase it: Russia's invasion is aggression that must not be rewarded. The West should increase military support so Ukraine can defend itself, recover territory where it can and negotiate, if it chooses to, from a position of strength, because Ukraine's defence protects European security.
- Yes, while pushing for negotiations: The West should keep supporting Ukraine militarily, because that support gives Ukraine its bargaining power, while actively pursuing a negotiated settlement that ends the killing and protects Ukraine's sovereignty and future security.
- Reduce support and seek a settlement now: Prolonging the war costs lives on a vast scale without realistically changing the outcome on the ground. The West should scale back military support and use its leverage to press both sides towards a negotiated settlement now.