But it is illogical, to say the least, for Americans not to thank Ukrainians, or to treat their courageous president as an object of contempt. The coercive ritual of gratitude hides from Americans the basic reality of what has happened these last three years. During this war, Ukraine has delivered to the United States strategic gains that the United States could not have achieved on its own. Ukrainian resistance gave hope to people defending democracies around the world. Ukrainian soldiers were defending the basic principle of international law, which is that states are sovereign and that borders should not be changed by aggression. Ukraine in effect fulfilled the entire NATO mission, absorbing a full-scale Russian attack essentially on its own. It has deterred Chinese aggression over Taiwan, by showing how difficult offensive operations can be. It has slowed the spread of nuclear weapons, by proving that a conventional power can resist a nuclear power in a conventional war. Throughout the war, Russia has threatened to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine, and the Ukrainians have resisted the nuclear bluff. Should they be allowed to be defeated, nuclear weapons will spread around the world, both to those who wish to bluff with them, and those who will need them to resist the bluff.
By abandoning Ukraine, Trump is risking a terrible escalation and, indeed, a world war. Everything that Ukraine has done these last three years can be reversed. Now that the Trump administration has chosen to throw American power to Russia's side, Russia could indeed win the war. (This was always Russia's only chance, as the Russians themselves well knew, and openly said.) In this scenario of an American-backed Russian victory, opened yesterday by American choices in the American capital, the horrible losses extend far beyond Ukraine. Zelens'kyi quite sensibly made the point that the consequences of the war could extend to Americans.
It's beyond despicable what trump and vance did to President Zelensky. It's even more despicable for any american to support these two morons. Thank you for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteZelensky's dignity in standing up to those two contemptible American men who are totally lacking in integrity and human decency will not be forgotten. Nor will those who continue to support those two reprehensible men and their accomplices.
ReplyDeleteGrateful for voices like Timothy Snyder. Your voice from Germany, too, for as long as I've been reading your blog.
Oh, Sabine. It's all so horrible and unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteCodex: When I voiced my concern a decade ago no one listened. We fight the small wars to prevent the big ones. I honestly think he doesn't understand that.
ReplyDeleteTrump has shamed us in front of the whole world and given whatever power we had to Putin. For what? To justify his own desire to take over other smaller nations to satisfy his greed? Trump expected Zelensky to grovel and erupted in rage when he didn't. And Zelensky is right, this will not end well for the US.
ReplyDelete