Although some of us seem to tune out everything about the tragic war in Ukraine, others are becoming more opinionated. That worries me. I run into many people with opinions about Ukraine ranging from “dropping the big one” on Russia to doing nothing. I also run into people who justify Putin’s invasion and others who dub him “much worse than Hitler.” I have heard people say that “we need Russia’s oil” and that “there would be no war without Biden stealing the 2020 election.”
Passionate opinions about Ukraine can be dangerous if not based on a basic understanding of what is at stake, what Ukraine is, and who the Ukrainian people are. Political pressure to “do something” appears to be growing and could evolve into demands for war should Putin escalate the war with nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons.
It should be obvious that opinions should be based on facts. However, often that is not the case, especially in an age where campaigns of disinformation are increasingly common. With that in mind, I decided to include a mini quiz in today’s column. My goal is not to embarrass anyone, but remind all, including myself, of the importance of research and facts.
Here are 14 questions. The answers follow the quiz.
- How many people lived in Ukraine before the start of the war?
- More than a third of Ukrainians are of Russian ethnic heritage. True or False?
- The Ukrainian government engaged in “ethnic cleansing” of Russians until the war began in February. True or False?
- Ukraine is bigger than Texas. True or False?
- How many Russian soldiers had been killed in Ukraine as of March 20?
- What is the cost of military and other aid that the U.S. provided to Ukraine as of March 20?
- Does Ukraine have significant oil reserves?
- A “no-fly” zone would entail direct combat between the U.S. and Russia. True or False?
- How many people have left Ukraine since the beginning of the war?
- More than two million Ukrainians have relocated to Poland. True or False?
- There is a U.S. run or funded biological weapons program in Ukraine. True or False?
- Ukraine shares a border with six separate countries, including NATO allies. True or False?
- How many Russian troops are currently fighting in Ukraine?
- President Biden has promised America that the war will be over by July 4. True or False?
Answers.
- The population of Ukraine was just over 41 million as of January 2022.
- False. About 18 percent of Ukrainians are of Russian ethnic heritage. Excluding Crimea and the Donbas region further reduces that percentage.
- False. PolitiFact, the New York Times and other reputable news sources report no evidence of the Ukrainian government engaging in genocide.
- False, but not by much. Texas is slightly larger. Ukraine is almost twice the size of California.
- Unknown. A non-government run Russian newspaper reported that over 10,000 Russians had been killed, but subsequently deleted the news. Estimates range from that number to as few as 500.
- President Biden signed legislation providing for $13.6 billion in military aid to Ukraine on March 11. This aid is in addition to at least $750 million in aid already provided.
- No. Ukraine’s proven oil reserves are only 395,000,000 barrels. This is less than 0.01 percent of the world’s proven oil reserves. Fifty other countries have more oil reserves than Ukraine.
- True. U.S. planes would have to intercept and destroy Russian aircraft that violated the no-fly zone. An effective no-fly zone also entails destroying ground-based radar and air defense systems that Russia would use against U.S. planes in the area.
- According to the UN, as of March 20, over 3.5 million. More than 10 million Ukrainians have been displaced from their homes.
- NPR reports that more than 1.8 million Ukrainians have fled to Poland, a number matching the population of Warsaw.
- The U.N. says False. Contrary reports are likely part of Russia’s disinformation campaign.
- True. In addition to Russia, Belarus (a Russian ally), Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Poland, and Moldova border Ukraine. Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania are NATO members.
- There are approximately 150,000 Russian troops in Ukraine as of March 20.
- False. Biden has said nothing about when the war will end.
How did you do? Please understand that I am not saying you need to be an expert on Ukraine to have an opinion about the war. I am saying that your opinions will be worth more if they reflect an effort to learn more information about the conflict.
J.E. Dean is a retired attorney and public affairs consultant writing on politics, government, birds, and other subjects.
Write a Letter to the Editor on this Article
We encourage readers to offer their point of view on this article by submitting the following form. Editing is sometimes necessary and is done at the discretion of the editorial staff.