Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Wright State politics professor shares how it could impact the U.S.

Thursday, Ukraine officials said that about 40 people so far have been killed during Russia’s attack on the country.

From the White House, President Joe Biden said the world will “hold Russia accountable.”

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Dr. Liam Anderson is a political science professor at Wright State University, who specializes in Western Europe, the former Soviet Union and international relations, said he disagrees with calling Russia’s actions an invasion.

“Where Russian troops are now they essentially were invited,” Anderson told News Center 7′s Candace Price.

Anderson describes the area where Russian troops are at now as pro-Russian separatist regions.

“There’s a big difference between that and then marching on the road to the capital city of Ukraine,” Anderson said.

The question still stands on whether the U.S. has any obligation to defend Ukraine.

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“Ukraine’s not a member of NATO so we are not obligated to defend Ukraine,” the professor said.

So then—why is the U.S. getting involved? The answer, Anderson says — is complicated.

“Ukraine seems determined to join NATO and we seem determined to allow Ukraine to join NATO. What’s happened over the last couple of months is Russia drawing a line and saying this is an existential threat to us,” Anderson said.

He says Russia views NATA as a threat because it is essentially an anti-Russian alliance.

“It provides protection to countries who fear Russia,” Anderson said.

But with all that said—Anderson says it’s very unlikely the U.S. would get involved in any sort of War with Russia over this, something Biden also echoed Tuesday afternoon.

Biden reiterated Tuesday that the U.S. does not intend to fight Russia amid ongoing tensions, though he added that officials wanted “to send an unmistakable message...that the United States, together with our allies, will defend every inch of NATO territory.

Thursday Biden said he spoke Zelensky about the conflict.

“President Zelenskyy reached out to me tonight and we just finished speaking,” Biden said on Twitter early Thursday, “I condemned this unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces. I briefed him on the steps we are taking to rally international condemnation, including tonight at the UN Security Council”

Anderson said what is more likely down the road for the U.S. is that the government will continue to say things in public, put sanctions on Russia, continue to supply weapons to Ukraine and the Ukrainian military.

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