One Year Later, Russia’s War on Ukraine Should be a Lesson for the United States
Today marks one year since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Over the past year, Ukrainian forces, with aid from allies like the United States, have bravely defended their country against Putin’s attempts to pull Ukraine under Russian control.
Currently, Europe is rallied around Ukraine to support its defense efforts. However, in the immediate aftermath of the invasion, the decision to fully support Ukraine was made more difficult for many European countries due to their heavy reliance on Russian oil and gas. In this way, the war in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of energy security.
Russia is a petrostate run by a power-hungry autocrat, and for years they’ve had the ability to turn on and off the spigot for Europe’s oil and gas. Putin’s war on Ukraine has been a stark reminder to Europe that they shouldn’t be relying on bad actors like Russia for their energy. Europe has had to learn this lesson the hard way – with high energy prices and shortages this winter.
Europe’s energy crisis following Putin’s war on Ukraine should be a clear lesson for the United States: Energy security is national security. We must not be reliant on other countries – especially autocrat-run petrostates – for our energy needs. Without a strong energy policy, diplomacy is weakened, and our national security is threatened.
President Biden should be looking at the war on Ukraine as a clear sign to revive our energy industry here at home – that means more production, more infrastructure, and more exports to our allies.