As the conflict in Ukraine continues, the humanitarian crisis the Ukrainian people are facing continues.
On Tuesday, Dec. 5, a bill was proposed to the House of Representatives, which would donate 1.3 billion dollars toward the cause, however, it was later denied.
Since the end of the Soviet Union, Russia has held resentment against Ukraine ever since it became an independent country in Aug. of 1991. On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in an escalation of the war, which officially started in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea.
“A declassified US intelligence report assessed that the Ukraine war has cost Russia 315,000 dead and injured troops, or nearly 90% of the personnel it had when the conflict began,” reports The Guardian in an update.
Russia does not seem to be stopping anytime soon with a targeted attack against Kyiv on Dec. 12.
Anthony Powe, a social science teacher at MCHS, describes the address President Solinsky had with President Biden.
“President Solinsky is meeting with President Biden and will be giving an address to Congress, asking for more aid for the Ukraine war. The U.S. has been really hesitant to approve more funding,” said Powe. “So depending on what happens, it will have a big impact on the direction of the conflict going forward.”
The conditions in Ukraine do not appear to have changed since the onset. Over the past 6 months, Russia has deported over 20,000 children across the border from Ukraine to Russia. On December first, Russia deployed over 170,000 troops in Ukraine.
“Concurrently, the Department of State is imposing sanctions on over 100 entities and individuals,” The United States treasury reported on Dec. 12. “Including those engaged in sanctions evasion in numerous third countries, complicit in furthering Russia’s ability to wage its war against Ukraine, and responsible for bolstering Russia’s future energy production and export capacity.”
As the U.S. continues to try to come to a financial decision regarding the war, Russia is still struggling economically due to sanctions passed. Depending on the decision being made in congress, the war may not end for some time.