For the last two years, news outlets and social media have bombarded the world with information about two headlining countries: Ukraine and Palestine, which is recognized as a sovereign state by the majority of the United Nations member states. Both countries have been in an ongoing state of war and crisis, and just as we think conflict has begun to settle down, the fight continues to worsen.
That being said, the most significant question at hand—especially for those in our community—is what exactly this means for our country. Since the beginning of both wars, protesters everywhere, including in our own community, had voiced different opinions towards the United States, Palestine, and Ukraine.
Senior Wyatt Mullins-Bell provides his personal input on the potential future of these nations.
“Historically, when the United States has gotten involved in international conflict, especially when it comes to trying to stabilize an unstable region, it hasn’t worked out for anyone involved,” Mullins-Bell said. “Looking at it from a nationalist perspective, American lives would inevitably get caught in the crossfire of a conflict that the United States shouldn’t have gotten involved in. Ultimately, there would be no financial, military, or political gain.”
After President Donald Trump’s inauguration in January, many were concerned about what was in store for the two countries, and how the President’s plan to end these conflicts would come into fruition.
On February 4th, Trump and Netanyahu held a press conference at the White House to discuss the future of Israel and Gaza. During the press conference, Trump expressed hope that progress could be made.
“In our meetings today, the prime minister and I focused on the future,” he said, “discussing how we can work together to ensure Hamas is eliminated and ultimately restore peace to a very troubled region.”
A few weeks afterwards, Trump met with Zelensky in the Oval Office to discuss similar matters—this time between Ukraine and Russia. In their meeting, Trump announced hopes that the ongoing war in Europe would be coming to an end.
“I spoke with President Putin, and we’re going to try and bring this to a close. It’s something that you [Zelensky] want, and that he wants,” President Trump said. “We’ll have to negotiate a deal, but we’ve started the confines of a deal, and I think something can happen.”
With all the uncertainty between these countries, students may find it difficult to understand what exactly is in store for the future of the United States.
Junior Coleman Endean questions how the Trump administration has been dealing with the conflict, and the possible repercussions in store for the United States.
“The concerns I have is that we are giving Russia an opportunity to become stronger,” Endean said. “Because of the way we have conducted ourselves in the last three months, we could possibly see a cold war between us and Europe. We could see our once-allies fall to Russia as we fail to support Ukraine. And opportunistic enemies like China could go after Taiwan and possibly us. It is concerning how quickly our influence in the world is diminishing while our enemies like China are taking advantage of those gaps.”
Despite how alarming it may sound, things have remained under control in the United States as of now. Moving forward, the simplest way to ease any concern and anxiety over these conflicts is to continue to stay informed on all that is happening in Palestine and Ukraine, and in the United States itself.
What does U.S. involvement in crisis countries mean for us?
Uncertainty remains about the future of the United States involvement with Ukraine and Palestine.
About the Contributor
Axel Sorber, Staff Reporter
For the past two years, senior Axel Sorber has been a staff reporter for The Spotlight newspaper. She has dabbled in several different sections of the newspaper, refining her writing skills and exploring the journalistic style.
Her favorite article that she wrote was “Microtrends threaten Earth’s Environment.” She enjoyed writing the article because she was passionate about and interested in the topic. While interviewing sources for this article, she got to have impactful conversations with insightful people, making it a memorable learning experience.
“I’m going to miss getting to write stories about things I find interesting and seeing it published in the paper,” said Sorber.
In the fall, Axel will attend Lehigh Carbon Community College to study Biology on a Pre-Med track. Although she doesn’t plan to pursue journalism in college, she intends to continue writing as a hobby.
Throughout her academic career at Southern Lehigh High School, Axel has not only been dedicated to the newspaper, but has also participated in various extracurricular activities. She took part in the Color Guard for four years, No Place for Hate for two years, and South Asian Student Association for one year. She was also elected the Secretary of French Honor Society for the year of 2025.
Axel’s favorite class was French with Madame Farley.
“It’s a great little classroom. Madame and the two other girls I’m in class with, we’re all super close,” said Sorber. “It’s just a really safe environment and I feel like I’m always learning something new.”
Axel described how she will miss the underclassmen, her friends, and all the memories she made throughout her time at Southern Lehigh. When reflecting on her time in high school, Sorber recalls many fond memories, but Friday Night Football Games remain her favorite moments of all.
“I’ve loved every part of it. Just getting to be with other people and the familial bonds that are formed,” said Sorber.
In Axel’s years at Southern Lehigh, she learned important lessons that she will carry with her to college. Her advice for younger students is something she tends to live by.
“Don’t push yourself to the point that you’re making yourself super stressed out. Give yourself some time; focus on yourself and your well being. School’s important but your mental health is more important,” said Sorber.