This past week in the Ashland High School’s chapter of the High School Democrats of America, we held a debate on whether our government’s funding for Ukraine has exceeded its limits. I argued against the funding for Ukraine because of how much money it has taken away from issues in domestic affairs along with the fact that it could potentially lead to nuclear warfare with Russia.

This debate features the current usage of capital in the defense of Ukraine in their war against Russia. and if it is being correctly utilized. Is the government spending the right amount of money on military efforts in Ukraine and should they continue to provide arms to the extent that they are, or should they direct more of that spending towards domestic issues and internal affairs?

The debates’s resolution will benefit the winning side in terms of charity. As one our purposes is to serve is to contribute to humanitarian efforts locally and internationally, funds will be raised for the winning cause. For example, if the pro-government funding team wins, we will raise money for relief in Ukraine. If the domestic policy side wins, we will find a domestic to issue to aid, such as the recent hurricane Ian in Florida and the damages it cost civilians.

Throughout the debate, the Pro-Ukraine spending side came up with some good points. One of which, was the fact that the Ukraine military defense against Russia is in a dire state which requires aid from a powerful nation like the United States. Specifically, their weaponry was far inferior to the onslaught brought on by the Russian attack. Furthermore, they argued that Putin has infringed on the rights of Ukrainian civilians and if the U.S. government doesn’t step in to help then no one else will.

In response to these claims the pro-domestic aid team asked the question: How much money is too much to spend when it comes to Ukraine aid? The U.S. government has spent a total of $15.2 billion for the defense of Ukraine during the presidency of Joe Biden. In comparison, funding for Hurricane Ian relief has reached only $1.5 billion despite the fact that losses could reach up to $74 billion. Many people have lost their livelihoods because of this hurricane and the damages that have came from it have led many to be homeless or jobless. On top of this, a recent Wall Street Journal poll showed that “With inflation being the overriding factor, over 80% of surveyed consumers described the economy as ‘poor’ or ‘not so good.’” A problematic result of the increased inflation has been significantly raised gas prices.

These issues, along with crime rates (The US currently ranks at the top of the countries with the most prisoners) and an increase in unemployment stemming from the after-effects of Covid-19, require solving. The solution to this won’t be found when so much of our spending is used on aiding Ukraine.

Another reason why the U.S. should consider limiting the number of arms they send to Ukraine, is how its antagonizing Russia and Putin. In particular, Ukraine’s attack on Crimea (land in possession of Russia since 2014) could result in nuclear warfare between the two countries, including their allies. The U.S. clearly wouldn’t welcome warfare at this time, as it would cause an even greater hit to the economy, which has already declined slightly in recent years.

In my resolution, I came to the conclusion that the U.S. government should continue to support Ukraine in their defense against Russia but do so to a lesser extent so that they can focus on domestic affairs simultaneously.