Public support for our ongoing involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict has waned. The people of this nation are war-weary; given the current financial climate, priorities are elsewhere. Although Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden have pledged their respective government’s continued commitment, political rhetoric aside, the Western public has grown tired of the conflict.
Though there is widespread sympathy for the Ukrainian people from our politicians and population alike, the question is now being asked: how long can we keep shovelling resources into a war that seems unwinnable unless NATO gets properly involved? We have already spent billions and depleted our arms stocks, as has much of Europe and the US, and all for what? The fight is still ongoing, and there’s no progress to report. If you couple this with a public who, in large segments, do not trust the media, we find that the government have neither the resources nor the propaganda nor public support to keep this battle going.
Public support has dropped off, and we in the West must start to prioritise our domestic position. With a US Presidential election and UK general election just around the corner and an ongoing cost of living crisis, “war fatigue” has well and truly set in with both sides in a stalemate.
Now, there is also another factor involved.
Events in Gaza and Israel have pushed the Ukraine conflict off the number one news slot. The media world does not care about the plight of the Ukrainians anymore. They have a new angle to push. Interestingly, this time, the media, politicians and the general public seem to be entirely at odds with each other for who they should support.
The lockstep of the system seems to be broken, with people coming out on all sides of the equation. It does seem that when it’s an all-European conflict, there’s a good side and a bad side for everyone. With Muslims and Jews, well, it’s complicated. According to UK legislation, I’m legally obliged to be neutral or supportive of both sides whilst simultaneously not offending either. To be more precise, keep our mouths shut.
And arguments are everywhere. After years of COVID lockdowns and Russia and Ukraine, the wheels have come off the unity train, and people in politics are back to squabbling over things that have nothing to do with us again.
The one thing we can be sure of is that the media and political types will tread a very thin line here. This conflict proves that cultural and ethnic pluralism doesn’t work. It has shown that pluralism does not reduce tension and conflict but makes it far worse. And it has demonstrated the value of a border, the defence of it and the need for swift deportations. These things are already in the minds of the general public due to our ongoing open-door issues. The last thing the media and politicians need is people pushing this angle with genuine passion and fear.
This is where the conflict between Ukraine and Russia differs. There was talk of atrocity and war crimes, but the media didn’t push it on such a scale, AND we don’t have a lot of Russians crossing the channel in boats.
The media and political classes have turned their backs on Ukraine in unison. That fight is no longer important. But given the gymnastics required to avoid talking about the complete failure of liberal principles, the disastrous border security and the ever-declining living standards of the indigenous people, they will undoubtedly have their work cut out for them to contain this new conflict in terms that don’t spark questions from the natives of these isles.
