On Feb. 24, the world fearfully watched Russian troops begin to invade Ukraine, killing Ukrainian soldiers and innocent civilians.
As Russia continues to invade Ukraine, members of the SXU community, including myself, have been wondering what will happen next?
What does the future of Ukraine look like? Will Russia invade other countries, including NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) countries?
What measures should the United States and NATO take? What measures will the U.S. and our allies take?
How will our daily lives here at home be affected?
Javier Peña, a student, said, “I feel like it’s so far away and I’d rather we stay out of it. It’s not our war to fight, but it is very sad. I think we should provide aid to Ukraine, but should not provide military aid”.
Angela Bylina, secretary of SXU’s Polish student association stated, “Most of my family is in Poland near the border of Ukraine so I’m afraid Russia will invade Poland too.
Being that Poland is a part of NATO, if Poland is invaded, then all of NATO becomes involved too, which I’m worried about too”.
As a student, I’m constantly watching the news, reading the New York Times, and checking for updates regarding the invasion throughout the day.
I’m also very concerned about the invasion, as more innocent people are killed, families are forced to flee, and Russia continues to take control of the land.
To what extent is Russia capable of and what will they do next?
Dr. Fojtik, assistant professor of history, coordinator of social science education here at SXU, and author of “Growing the Future: The Debate over Agricultural Reconstruction in the Western Zones of Occupied Germany, 1945–1950.” provided a statement saying, “What I’m hearing most from students is shock, concern about the humanitarian dimensions for the people of Ukraine, and worry about what American involvement will look like.
I don’t anticipate deployment of large numbers of American military personnel at this point.
I DO anticipate a palpable impact on the American economy, with rising energy prices being the most obvious sign of that.
To be clear, this is not necessarily because the US imports a ton of gas from Russia, but because sanctions against Russia and demand by countries that depend on Russian petroleum (much of western Europe) will increase demand for non-Russian energy sources. (Forbes, FYI, reports that at the end of 2021 the US was importing 7% of its yearly oil needs from Russia.)
Not an insignificant amount, but only a piece of the overall puzzle. Time to buy a Prius, I guess?”
As Russia continues to wage War against Ukraine, social media has been key to informing users about the deadly invasion.
Russia is providing false information on social media, attempting to defend the invasion. Those in Ukraine are sharing their experiences with the world, posting uncensored photos, videos, and updates.
However, as more information is posted to social media, it can become difficult to differentiate between what is true and what is false, as millions of users have been exposed to false claims and misinformation.
All of this affects our perception of the war, instilling fear, angst, and confusion.
As John Lennon and Yoko Ono infamously sang, “War is over! (If you want it.)”
PBS explains how to spot false and misleading information on social media regarding the invasion.