Ukrainian momentum continues to receive support during unprovoked Russian aggression

As Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues, a humanitarian crisis is unfolding that is turning millions of people into refugees, many of them children.

America must maintain its support for Ukraine:

Echo opinion letter published in the Springfield News-Leader, a Missouri newspaper:

As the first anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches, the war there still fiercely continues. While Russian missiles strike civilian targets and cripple national infrastructure, Ukrainian resolve remains unwavering as they fight to maintain their territorial integrity and their freedom. 

Americans, who are abhorred by these blatant and cruel violations of international law and human rights, rallied to support the young democracy in the first stages of the war, but as time progresses further from those early months when this crisis dominated the news cycle, it continues to drift out of the national attention and apathy increasingly settles in. This apathy, while natural, must be resisted as the stakes of this conflict remain as high as they were when it started.

Ukrainian support rally.

In a speech given upon the outset of the invasion, President Putin stated unequivocally that this war was a challenge to the United States and the international order it has maintained since the end of the Cold War. 

This is, simply put, a war on sovereignty and the consequences of a Ukrainian defeat would spread far beyond their national borders. Since Putin took office in 1999, Russia’s foreign policy has grown increasingly aggressive and there is no reason to believe that their military ambitions will cease if they succeed now, as they have already issued threats to other European nations in the time since the fighting began. Additionally, the eyes of all other ambitious despots rest firmly upon this conflict and the United States’ reaction to it. In this last year, China has become increasingly aggressive towards Taiwan and North Korea, likewise, has taken a more hostile stance towards their southern neighbor. 

A Ukrainian victory is an American victory and sends a clear message to the world that state sovereignty is still inviolable.

The Ukrainian military has proven beyond a doubt that they have the conviction and the willpower to win this war. What they lack, however, is the weaponry needed to fend off a foe with three times their population. Despite recent victories in their counter offensive, including the liberation of Kherson, the situation remains perilous. Many Russians reservists and released criminals continue to be deployed to the frontlines and the Russian Defense Ministry recently announced plans to further expand the size of its standing army.

Additionally, the threat of a new offensive from the north is growing as Belarus looks poised to invade in conjunction with Moscow, which would add a sizable wave of fresh troops and equipment to the already large enemy force. The United States and the West possess the funds and weaponry needed to defend against such a threat, but it must be provided swiftly so that proper training can occur before this next offensive begins. Americans must not let apathy, or the price of aid obstruct this crucial influx of support. The cost is undeniably high, but the cost of a defeat would far surpass this in terms of both life and money as aggressor states would feel emboldened. 

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While those who daily face the prospects of torture and death in Ukraine remain committed to this noble fight, let not us, who contribute in safety, be the ones who back down.

From Jesse Liebmann, Eureka Missouri