Three years ago, Russia launched a brutal invasion of Ukraine. Many thought that the much smaller nation would be quickly overrun, but with extraordinary courage and resolve — and significant aid from the West — the Ukrainians have protected their country. Their struggle has deserved US support, and it has received it. But now with a Putin admirer in the White House, all bets are off.
Back in 2014, one of my Coursera students wrote: “what do we see now? It’s hard to believe that after everything that has been happening in my beloved Motherland during these 3 months, after all those people who were injured or died fighting for the freedom and democracy, Russia de facto declares a war against Ukraine. Please, wake me up, tell me it’s just a fucked up nightmare.”
Yes, the nightmare continues. It’s hard to believe, that after all the pain and suffering of the last three years of war, the American administration seems ready to betray Ukraine. Students led a demonstration three years ago to support the Ukrainians, and today there will be a vigil during the lunch hour. We can at least bear witness. I wrote with admiration about the work Professor Barry Chernoff and Katja Kolcio were doing to connect Ukrainian civil society with people here at Wesleyan. Katja told me that expressions of support and empathy were meaningful to her compatriots in Kiev.
A feckless government will lose its allies, and a country that betrays its friends in favor of autocrats will eventually see its legitimacy disintegrate. Meanwhile, we can remind our friends in Ukraine that their many American admirers continue to support them, as we work together for a just, sustainable peace.