As the war unfolds in Ukraine, there are constant changes in the status of Russia, Ukraine, and all other countries involved in the war. Because of this, it is hard to concretely say what is currently being done by each location.

The U.S. was able to make quick and decisive actions when Russia invaded Ukraine, which contributed to the powerful resistance many in the international community have led against Russia’s actions.

The consensus is that the most influential thing the U.S has done thus far in regards to the conflict is impose harsh sanctions on Russia. The whole of the European Union has imposed sanctions on Russia, and the U.S. sanctions are in tandem with those from other countries.

For the first time, the U.S has directly sanctioned Russian banks. This sanction is freezing all of the U.S. assets that are in these banks which ultimately will restrict the access Moscow has on their foreign wealth. This means less money is available for Russia to wage war with.

The U.S. has also put strict restrictions on companies that play significant roles in Russia’s economy by eliminating their ability to raise money through the U.S market.

While all these sanctions will affect Russia’s economy, the impacts of the war will also be felt in the U.S. economy. While the U.S. trades relatively little with Russia, it is still a major player in the world economy — when Russia’s economy suffers, there’s a ripple effect throughout the world.

Gas and food prices are expected to increase in the U.S. due to these ripple effects, which will further hurt our economy which has already been experiencing record-high inflation.

Though the U.S. has imposed harsh sanctions on Russia, it has not sent troops to Ukraine.

The U.S has committed to sending 12,000 US troops to Europe, bolstered by the number of troops already stationed there. Despite this, Biden is still not sending reinforcements to Ukraine.

There are many factors behind this decision. This war poses no threat to national security interests. There are no U.S military bases in Ukraine, and it doesn’t have any strategic oil reserves. Along with not being a major trade partner to the U.S, it does not align with Biden’s aversion to military interventionism to send troops in.

Many wonder how this conflict would impact the American view of Biden’s presidency. Historically, wars can create a “rally around the flag effect,” which indicates high bipartisan support of a president during times of crisis.

While it is true that Biden has had high bipartisan support for his decisions involving Russia, due to the polarity of today’s politics, his public support is not expected to increase by a significant amount. It is common that Republicans are less likely to support a democratic president during times of crisis than Democrats are for a republican president.

With all this going on, it is important to keep in mind that while we may suffer from higher prices for our everyday goods, it is in the name of a greater battle happening abroad.

Columns reflect the opinions of the authors and are not necessarily those of the Editorial Board, The Daily Iowan, or other organizations in which the author may be involved.