Supporting Ukraine is the most SELFISH thing you can do
by Benjamin Cook
Go ahead, you deserve it!
Disengagement and appeasement isn’t the path to safety and security.
In an increasingly interconnected world, it’s hard to escape the consequences of global events—particularly wars. The war in Ukraine is no exception. And while you might think it's just another distant conflict, affecting a country far away from your daily life, the truth is it matters deeply to your personal interests—your wallet, your safety, and your future.
It’s OK to care primarily about how this conflict affects you personally. In fact, understanding the economic and geopolitical stakes in Ukraine can help you make better decisions for your own well-being. Here’s why.
1. War Equals Uncertainty, Uncertainty Equals Higher Prices
Wars breed doubt, chaos, and uncertainty, and markets absolutely hate uncertainty. Consider the global oil market. Every time tensions rise in regions that influence energy markets, such as Russia and Ukraine, oil prices surge, affecting gas prices globally. Risk and uncertainty in supply chains translate directly into higher prices at the pump, which impacts your daily expenses.
As long as the conflict rages on, markets will remain volatile. A quick glance at historical data shows how markets react during conflicts. During the first six months of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, oil prices spiked from under $80 to over $120 per barrel . This isn’t just abstract geopolitical theater—it’s the price you pay to fill your car.
In a larger sense, this means supporting Ukraine’s efforts to defend itself isn’t just morally right, but economically pragmatic. A stable, sovereign Ukraine helps stabilize key markets, making life just a bit more predictable for you.
2. Democracy Is an Investment in Your Own Safety
Let’s dig a little deeper into how global security matters for your personal safety. Research in political science has shown that liberal democracies do not tend to attack each other . This phenomenon, known as the Democratic Peace Theory, suggests that as more nations become democracies, the chances of large-scale global conflicts actually decrease.
So, supporting Ukraine’s struggle for democracy is a long-term hedge for your own safety. Every step toward building and preserving democratic institutions abroad helps lower the chance of large-scale conflicts that could one day directly involve you or your loved ones. In short: when democracies flourish, you sleep safer at night.
3. Disengagement Doesn’t Lead to Security—It Leads to Power Vacuums
One of the most persistent myths in U.S. foreign policy is that disengagement from conflicts like Ukraine’s will lead to more security and cost savings for Americans. This is simply not true. Power vacuums are created when democratic nations disengage from the global stage, and those vacuums are inevitably filled by adversarial forces—whether that’s Russia, China, or other authoritarian actors.
The cost of disengagement is not a free pass; it just means that when we are eventually dragged into global conflicts (and we always are), the stakes—and costs—will be higher. Whether through military involvement or economic sanctions, the U.S. gets involved either directly or indirectly. Even if the government avoids sending troops, the economic impact of large-scale conflicts will ripple across the globe and hit the U.S. in the form of inflation, market instability, or disrupted trade.
By staying engaged in global issues like Ukraine, the U.S. can help maintain a more stable world, and in doing so, protect its own economic and national security interests.
4. Economic Stability Means Personal Stability
Let’s be honest—your economic well-being is tied to global economic stability. When wars destabilize entire regions, as we’ve seen with Ukraine and Russia, the consequences reverberate far beyond borders. Energy markets are one aspect, but global food supply chains have also been severely impacted. Ukraine is a key exporter of grain, and disruptions to their agricultural output sent food prices soaring across the world .
The risk of not caring about these events is high. By supporting efforts to stabilize Ukraine, you’re supporting efforts to stabilize your own economy. Wars lead to broken supply chains, inflated prices, and financial market swings—all things that impact your daily life.
Conclusion: Support Ukraine Because It’s in Your Best Interest
So, if you find yourself thinking, “Why should I care about a war halfway across the world?”—just remember, it’s OK to care because it affects you. Your financial stability, personal safety, and the stability of the world you live in are all at stake. By supporting Ukraine’s fight for democracy and freedom, you’re not just doing a good deed for the world—you’re also safeguarding your own future.
Benjamin Cook
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Sources:
International Energy Agency, "Global Oil Market Report."
Bloomberg, "Oil Price Surge in Response to Ukraine Invasion."
Russett, Bruce. "Grasping the Democratic Peace: Principles for a Post-Cold War World."
FAO, "Ukraine's Agricultural Exports and Global Food Security."
Interesting analysis. One more argument would be that if Russia is not punished for invading another country and gets any sort of victory (like more land) this would give China green light to invade Taiwan which is the main producer of the advanced chips (the sole producer for some of them). In that case, lots of electronic goods will get a sharp price increase.
While overall this argumentation makes sense, the fact we are down to appeal to Westerners selfish economical interest rather than moral ground is damning. Arguably we are already largely defeated politically. And we are so due to our own making alone.
In any case, even if the common folk in the West suddenly escaped its idiocracy state of mind to see the light, our own oligarchy has already showed it is not willing to do what is necessary for our safety. Quite the opposite as they continue to destroy our democracies, our economies and ultimately, our entire societies.
See France for exemple where our new government is being formed by the most severely defeated "conservative right" political party during the summer legislatives elections. The one party with the least amount of MPs. All to continue the past decade policies which simultaneously crash the economy, bankrupted the state and thrown the majority of the population under poverty by redistributing the wealth through taxations and public deficit from the poor to an handful of richs.
While the past days, everybody is talking about Lebanon due to you know who projecting to invade yet another Arab state to commit yet an other genocide, the truth is the vast majority of Western countries are following the path of Lebanon : failed states devoided of representativity with a failed, largely fictive economy in a bankrupted state controlled by a corrupt oligarchy whose only distraction from slowly killing their country like vampires is to support racist sectarian mass murder abroad.
Before saving Ukraine, including for their own selfish good, Westerners need to save themselves from their own national demons. However, I highly doubt this will happen. It seems these days that many people, if not most people, believe they can either sneak their way into the top 10% becoming richer by destroying their countries, or just find more appealing to add a heavy dose of fascism into our oligarchic regimes. Why do right when you can do wrongs and feel proud about it ? Or something like that. I have seen it from personal experience being familiar with people in the high strata of both states services and private companies in Paris.