BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — During the State of Union Tuesday night, President Biden addressed the impact that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has made from a global perspective.
“We also have never seen this type of aggression from a European country since World War II,” said Dr. Dirk Horn.
Dr. Dirk Horn Senior Lecturer in Political Science at CSUB believes President Biden’s remarks on the U.S. not getting involved in the war of Ukraine was the right move to make, as both Russia and the U.S. have nuclear power.
“It’s correct of President Biden. Ukraine is not a NATO ally as of yet and [as] much as the devastation and horror that we see online may affect us and want us to enter into a conflict to aid the Ukraine's military and citizen forces, we have to understand that Russia is a nuclear power, and the United States is a nuclear power.”
Biden said the NATO alliance was created to secure peace and stability in Europe after World War II and emphasizes the importance of American diplomacy and resolve. Horn added that U.S. forces not engaging in conflict with Russian forces coincides with supporting the NATO allies.
“That’s the right move in terms of supporting our NATO allies. Being part of a security alliance means that you have to bear the cost of that security alliance. There is article five in the NATO charter that basically says that an attack on one is an attack on all. That’s only been invoked one time in the history of NATO, that’s after 9/11.”
Horn said that inflation is also a result of this crisis and that it isn’t something that can be altered in a quick manner.
Biden stated that the Russian stock market has lost 40% of its value and trading remains suspended.
“With the Ukraine crisis, the price of oil is going to go higher as well. Inflation is not going to go away overnight. There are steps that the central bank, the federal reserve can take, but if inflation was being caused by an oversupply of money alone then that would be strong measures to take. But the actions essential bank and the federal reserve take are not going to address supply chain issues.”
Biden said that Putin is now isolated from the world more than he has ever been. He adds that together along with allies, the U.S is enforcing powerful economic sanctions and is cutting off Russia’s largest banks from the international financial system.
Horn thinks that while there might be workarounds, he doesn’t foresee that happening anytime soon.
“This is unprecedented levels of sanctions, and it is within fast the fact that their central bank is basically frozen from doing business on the international market. Their businesses are frozen from accepting payment through the swift system. There are other methods and workarounds that I’m sure find them but that takes a while to figure out.”
