The question of Ukraine funding hits at the core of what America wants to be now and in the future. Are we returning to the isolationism before World War II or fighting against the tyranny of dictators, demagogues, and enemies of personal liberty?
The new episode of the nonpartisan debate series Open to Debate (formerly known as Intelligence Squared U.S.), in partnership with the Council on Foreign Relations, is a debate on the question “Should Congress Stop Funding the War in Ukraine?”
Arguing YES are political scientist John Mearsheimer, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and retired Lieutenant Colonel Daniel L. Davis, awarded two Bronze Stars during his 21-year service in the U.S. Army. They argue the war is unwinnable for Ukraine and continuing aid diverts necessary resources that could go toward domestic priorities, such as curbing immigration. They also question whether the funds are being used efficiently and whether providing military aid is genuinely contributing to a path toward peace.
Arguing NO are German Marshall Fund president Heather Conley, who has also held positions at the American National Red Cross and the State Department, and Ambassador Paula Dobriansky, Former Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs; Senior Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Vice Chair, Atlantic Council Scowcroft Center for Strategy & Security. They believe that the U.S. has a moral obligation to support Ukraine in its time of need, it sustains alliances while serving strategic interests, and it demonstrates the U.S.’s support of democratic values and sovereignty.
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