I met a Ukrainian today. He is my age. I met him at school drop off, our sons are in the same kindergarten class.
They recently arrived here from overseas. I welcome them, but I wish we had done more to help Ukraine.
There are numerous places in the world where people are being displaced by state violence, but I don’t think there’s anywhere that it’s being done by a global power so directly. It’s similar to Gaza/Palestine & Israel, but Russia can end the war by simply going home.
If we had been meeting our NATO obligations for the last 30 years, would this family have been driven out of their home? I don’t know. (I actually know almost nothing about their personal circumstances)
I just feel like we should have done more, and that it’s not too late.
Ukraine is a uniquely difficult situation and, while I agree we could do more, I think it’s mostly America’s delayed response that has led to thus drawn out conflict. Part of the reason for that response is entirely rational - no western nation wants to directly put boots on the ground for fear of escalating the war to a nuclear level. Part of the reason is just internal American corruption. Canada’s contributions are below nato expectations but still rather close - I don’t think we need to shoulder the burden for failing to resolve this conflict.
And, as a note, one of my coworkers and reports is a Ukrainian refugee - we’ve been extremely relaxed about accepting them (in a good way) and have several preexisting cultural communities (especially in BC).
Isreal is another matter entirely - that’s America’s shame… the can stop the genocide with the flick of their wrists and my strongest desire there is that Biden’s reluctance to do so doesn’t give us another Trump presidency south of the border.