The war in Gaza has caused a humanitarian crisis. Photo / The New York Times
The United States is playing an integral role in two major international wars raging right now.
US military funding is being used to support the causes of both Ukraine and Israel as those two nations seek to defend their territories.
But questions are now being asked about whether the US should be playing this role at all.
Otago University professor of international relations Robert Patman tells The Front Page podcast there is some debate brewing even within the US about the level of support the country is offering the aforementioned foreign nations.
While US President Joe Biden wants to pour more money into Ukraine, Republicans are refusing to vote for any funding package that doesn’t include stricter immigration and border policies with the US.
“Let’s be clear about this,” says Patman. “A number of members of Congress on the Republican side, both in the Senate and the House of Representatives, actually support Putin. They’ve looked upon this as an opportunity to flex their muscles. They’ve looked upon these two conflicts as an opportunity to leverage against the administration.”
While Britain and Germany have been rallying support for Europe to fill any shortfall left by the US pulling back, Patman says the political moves by the Republicans will ultimately weaken Ukraine’s ability to withstand this invasion from Putin.
When Israel was attacked by the terrorist organisation Hamas on October 7, the US responded quickly by sending military aid to the Israeli government.
But as that war has dragged on, many critics – some within the US – have started to question the actions of Israel and the United States’ role in providing funds.
“The United Nations recently calculated that about 17,400 Palestinian civilians have been killed and about 70 per cent of the civilian deaths are women and children,” says Patman.
“About 75 to 80 per cent of Palestinians have been displaced from their homes. According to satellite imagery, about 50 per cent of all residential buildings have been destroyed. We’re talking about an area of about 2.3 million people.”
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoked Article 99 in an attempt to get the UN Security Council to pass a resolution to bring about an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
“The United States vetoed that on Friday, December 8,” says Patman.
“Many countries in the region, and indeed the world, are frustrated by the fact that America used its veto for the third time to prevent an immediate ceasefire.”
Patman says that should this war continue, it could have major repercussions for the international reputation of the US.
“The global standing of the United States has been seriously hurt by its unconditional support for Israel’s right to self-defence. No one disputes that Israel [is targeting] those responsible for the terrorist attack on October 7. No one disputes that they have a right to do that. Where the [contention] comes in is that the right of self-defence is not limitless and should not involve the death of innocent civilians.”
So, how will the wars in Ukraine and Israel play out in the coming years? What effect could a change in US government have? And how stable is the US government at the moment?
Listen to the full episode of The Front Page for a detailed exploration of these issues and more.
The Front Page is a daily news podcast from the New Zealand Herald, available to listen to every weekday from 5am. It is presented by Damien Venuto, an Auckland-based journalist with a background in business reporting who joined the Herald in 2017.
You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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