Lukes Comments on U.S. Aid to Ukraine Amid Ongoing War
Igor Lukes, Professor of International Relations and History at Boston University’s Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, was interviewed by Al Jazeera on the United States‘ ongoing and seemingly open-ended support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia.
The article, titled “‘As long as it takes’: US aid to Ukraine sustainable, experts say,” explores how the aid provided by the U.S. is necessary not only to back Ukrainians but to advance U.S. national interests. According to Lukes, ignoring the reality of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine only encourages the aggressor, Russian President Vladimir Putin to be specific. Additionally, Lukes notes that if Putin were to conquer Ukraine and get to its western borders, Russia would be “eyeball to eyeball” with several North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries, including Poland and Romania. While the conflict has certainly escalated in recent months, encroachment on a NATO ally would be incredibly risky as the alliance’s defense pact calls an attack on one member nation an attack on them all, which would truly make this a global war.
The full article can be read on Al Jazeera‘s website.
Igor Lukes is a past winner of the 1997 Metcalf Award for Excellence in Teaching and the 2020 winner of the Gitner Prize for Faculty Excellence at the Pardee School. He writes primarily about Central Europe. His work has won the support of various other institutions, including Fulbright, Fulbright-Hays, the Woodrow Wilson Center, IREX, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Read more about Professor Lukes on his faculty profile.