“The world suddenly doesn’t care about the war in Ukraine,” independent journalist Johnny Harris said in a recent video, adding that “global conflict really relies on global attention.” With the war in Gaza and the upcoming US presidential election, attention spans have largely turned elsewhere in the West. Yet, despite the relatively static frontline, the war in Ukraine is very much ongoing.
In February, after months of intense fighting, Russian forces captured the Ukrainian town of Avdiivka in Donetsk Oblast.
Last month, the Russian 90th tank division launched the biggest armored assault since the start of the invasion of Ukraine, involving more than 40 tanks and troop carriers west of Avdiivka. Using a combination of land mines and Western-supplied anti-tank missiles, the Ukrainians were able to repel the assault and destroy a significant portion of the attacking force. Nonetheless, this failed assault shows Russian intent and ambition to turn the current positional warfare back into maneuver warfare. Assaults like this might increase if gaps in the defensive lines form.
In conjunction with the land war, Russia and Ukraine have increased the usage of long-range drones to strike strategic targets behind the frontlines. Last year, Russia established a factory to produce hundreds of Shahed-series attack drones. These drones were used in the recent bombardments of Kharkiv that damaged energy infrastructure. Furthermore, Russia continues to use its missiles to target Ukrainian cities, highlighting the persistent need for Western air defense.
Despite a significant reduction in attention toward Ukraine, the threats posed by the Russian military have not diminished. With Kyiv announcing the lowering of the military draft age to boost recruitment, Ukraine will desperately need more aid and equipment to maintain these new forces. However, political bickering in the US has delayed aid.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said that Ukrainian forces might be forced to retreat if they do not get aid. This is precisely what Russian President Vladimir Putin wants. Yet, some Republicans, like US Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, refuse to acknowledge this and continue to push pro-Russian talking points, sowing doubts about the legitimacy of helping a democratic nation at war.
Also facing a bellicose revanchist neighbor, Taiwan is closely following developments, from the deployment of new weapon systems to the changing diplomatic landscape between Kyiv and the international community. Taiwanese leaders are concerned about US debates on stopping aid to Ukraine.
In an interview with the New York Times, Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) said that “Taiwan’s security is linked to that of Ukraine, and US abandonment of the east European country will strengthen China’s ambition to assault Taiwan.”
Certainly, a Russian victory as a result of Western indecision would have great propaganda value for the Chinese Communist Party.
Ever since the Truman Doctrine, the world’s democracies have looked to the US for leadership and support. Even today when “American hegemony” is often challenged, Washington’s foreign policy stance remains an important factor in defining the global order. Ukraine would have likely fallen in March 2022 if not for US support.
In this prolonged conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the Western world should not stop caring about Ukraine. Yet largely shielded from this conflict, it often forgets this. Ukrainians and Taiwanese are alarmed about this emerging apathy. Apathy leads to indecision, and indecision leads to defeat.
Linus Chiou is a graduate student at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University.
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