Red Wine & Blue
Red Wine & Blue is a national community of over half a million diverse suburban women working together to defeat extremism, one friend at a time. We train and connect women from across the country of all political backgrounds, including many who have never been political before, to get sh*t done and have fun along the way.
We launched "The Suburban Women Problem" podcast in May of 2021, and after 5 seasons and 1.3 million downloads, we brought the show to an end to pave the way for new podcasts out of Red Wine & Blue. Subscribe and stay tuned in to hear brand new series, starting with "Okay, But Why?"
There's so much happening in politics right now, it’s hard to keep up. It feels like every day, there’s a new outrageous headline. But it’s not always clear why these things are happening. So in this weekly series of short shareable episodes, we’re here to ask… “Okay, But Why?”
When they go low, we go local. We hope you join us.
Red Wine & Blue
Okay, But Why Should We Support Ukraine?
With breaking news and shocking headlines still happening on a weekly basis, sometimes it's hard to believe that the current war in Ukraine has been going on for more than three years. You may have heard a neighbor or family member asking… why should the United States be involved at all? With so many problems here at home, why should we care about a war on the other side of the world?
Well, there’s two different ways to answer that question: the humanitarian crisis, and our national security. In this episode, we dive into both.
Trump still says he’s committed to ending the war. But will he end it in a way that’s good for Ukraine and democracy? Or will he end it in a way that’s good for Vladimir Putin... and himself? This war is already tragically close to home for kids in Ukraine, and it could be other kids across the world – including ours – that feel it next.
So the next time you hear someone ask why the United States should care about this war, you can share this episode and tell them exactly why we should support Ukraine.
For a transcript of this episode, please email comms@redwine.blue.
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CLIP from Zelensky: "War always poses a threat to many. We all see in the media and read in the reports what is happening in Ukraine because of Russia's war. It's something many are imagining happening to themselves, but the deepest understanding of war is always found in the home it destroys. Thank you. Slava Ukraine."
Narrator: It’s hard to believe that the current war in Ukraine has been going on for more than three years - Russia invaded in February of 2022. You may have heard a neighbor or family member asking… why should the United States be involved at all? With so many problems here at home, why should we care about a war on the other side of the world?
Well, there’s two different ways to answer that question: the humanitarian crisis, and our national security. Let’s start with the humanitarian reasons we should support Ukraine.
Ukrainians share our values and overwhelmingly support democracy, but they haven’t had the chance to be in control of their own country for very long. The area that’s now Ukraine was an important center of Slavic culture all the way back in the Middle Ages, but it wasn’t until 1917 that the Ukrainian People's Republic was formed. But the brand new nation was thrown into turmoil by the First and Second World Wars, and Ukrainians were among the first victims of the Holocaust. Over a million and a half Jewish people in Ukraine died between 1941 and 1945.
After World War II, Ukraine became part of the Soviet Union. And following the collapse of the USSR in 1991, Ukraine became its own country and has worked hard to maintain democracy ever since. But Vladimir Putin, who’s been in control of Russia since 2000 (yes, 25 years ago), has been determined to regain control of Ukraine. In 2014, Russia seized control of the Crimean Peninsula, which is part of Ukraine. And then, in 2022, Russian troops invaded, marching on major cities like the capital of Kyiv. It’s hard to know exactly how many Ukrainians have died since Russia’s invasion, but it’s at least 40,000 soldiers and as many as a hundred thousand civilians.
Those aren’t just numbers. Those are people. People like a six-year-old girl who was killed by Russian bombs in Mariupol. She died in her unicorn pajamas. Or two teachers who were killed in the school where they worked. The director of the school called them his best teachers. Or the 17 people who died in a bombing at a maternity hospital, including women, children, and doctors. Or Jimmy Hill, an American teacher who was killed in Chernihiv, where he was helping his partner Iryna get into a special hospital to treat her MS.
This is the human cost of Russia’s war. Ordinary people who were just trying to live their lives, cut short by a war they didn’t choose.
Okay, but there are lots of humanitarian crises across the globe. We send help and resources to many of them, but not all. So what are the national security reasons that we should support Ukraine? Turns out, most Democrats and Republicans agree.
CLIPS:
Thom Tillis: “Look, I’m a Republican, I support President Trump. But what I’m telling you, whoever believes that there is any space for Vladimir Putin in the future of a stable globe better go to Ukraine, they better go to Europe, they better understand that this man is a cancer and the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime.
President Biden: “If anyone thinks Vladimir Putin will stop at Ukraine, I assure you, he will not.”
Narrator: So let's take a look at Vladimir Putin’s reasons for starting the war in the first place. Ukraine was becoming more Westernized and democratic, on the verge of applying to become a part of the European Union and NATO. Russia, on the other hand, has become more authoritarian in the past few decades. Putin views Russia as a great world power with the authority to control the countries around it, just like they did during the Cold War. The more democratic and European Russia’s neighbors become, the more Putin’s power is under threat. It sure seems like he’s trying to rebuild the Soviet Union, and I don’t think many Americans are excited for a second Cold War. Remember the part about the looming nuclear armageddon?
And the rest of the world is watching too. If we allow Putin to invade and take over a democratic independent nation, it sends a message that other countries – like China – can get away with it too. For that matter, what will stop Putin from continuing his expansion into Poland or other European countries? As real as the humanitarian crisis is in Ukraine, what happens there is also hugely important to our national security.
The United States is one of the biggest supporters that Ukraine has on its side. Although Europe overall has provided more aid than the United States, we’re the single biggest contributor to the cause. At least we were - until Donald Trump took office in January of 2025. He put a “pause” on our support for Ukraine after a disastrous meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky where he and Vice President Vance claimed that Zelensky wasn’t sufficiently “grateful” for our help. Trump has openly admired Vladimir Putin for years, so there’s real concern that he’ll stop our support to Ukraine altogether.
CLIP from Trump: “It was great, he said very nice things, he even called me brilliant. Isn’t that nice?” “You said that was an honor.” “Of course it’s an honor. Look, sometimes I say things to people and I don’t mean it. I think he meant it.”
Narrator: Trump still says he’s committed to ending the war. But will he end it in a way that’s good for Ukraine and democracy? Or will he end it in a way that’s good for Vladimir Putin and himself? It’s hard to imagine that a conflict on the other side of the world could affect us and our families, but it wasn’t that long ago that American kids were ducking and covering under their desks. This war is already tragically close to home for kids in Ukraine, and it could be other kids across the world – including ours – that feel it next.
The situation between Trump, Zelensky, and Putin is changing by the day. We don’t know yet how the history books will be written. But the future of democracy hangs in the balance, and that is why we should all care about Ukraine.