I wholeheartedly congratulate the people of the United States on the inauguration of their new president Donald Trump. At this historic moment, it is worth pausing to reflect on what truly makes America great, and how it can be greater still.
Throughout its history, the United States has fought for freedom. From the War of Independence to the fight against Nazism, this commitment to freedom has defined the United States at home and abroad.
This resonates deeply with Ukrainians, who also have a long history of fighting for our freedom. Generations of Ukrainians have resisted Russian imperialism, Nazism, and Soviet terror in a struggle that goes back centuries. With the help of the United States and the entire free world, Ukraine is now defending itself against the resurgent Russian imperialism of the twenty-first century.
As the largest European invasion since World War II approaches the three-year mark, this shared dedication to liberty has brought the United States and Ukraine closer than ever. There are also a number of very practical reasons why continued support for Ukraine is beneficial for the United States and for President Trump.
While the United States is not at war with Russia, the Russians firmly believe they are at war with the United States. Russian President Vladimir Putin is determined to outsmart Trump and views the invasion of Ukraine as an opportunity to humiliate the United States on the global stage.
Putin’s immediate objective is to erase Ukrainian independence, but his ultimate goal is to reverse the verdict of 1991 and dismantle the entire US-led rules-based international order. Unless he is stopped in Ukraine, Putin will seek to subjugate other countries of the former Russian Empire, from Moldova and Belarus in Eastern Europe to Kazakhstan and the nations of Central Asia.
If the West allows the current invasion of Ukraine to succeed, the main beneficiaries will be Russia and fellow authoritarian regimes including China, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela, along with an assortment of rogue actors such as Hamas and Hezbollah. This Axis of Autocrats is already taking shape against the backdrop of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The emergence of an autocratic new world order would be disastrous for US interests. NATO would be deeply discredited, while authoritarian dictators everywhere would be emboldened. The US dollar would give way to the Chinese yuan as the global currency of choice, while many current partners of the United States throughout the Global South would begin leaning increasingly toward Beijing. The impact on international security and the US economy would be severe.
Crucially, Russia victory in Ukraine would cause irreparable damage to the prestige that underpins US power globally. In 2021, Putin watched the botched United States withdrawal from Afghanistan with glee. He is now eager to repeat the process in Ukraine. The Kremlin dictator is convinced this would shatter the credibility of the United States, while dramatically enhancing Russian influence across Europe and beyond.
Putin’s fellow autocrats would also draw the logical conclusions from Russian success in Ukraine, and would be encouraged to embark on more aggressive foreign policies of their own. Before long, this would undermine the security of United States allies including Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea.
Trump has the opportunity to prevent all this. By resolutely backing Ukraine, he can stop the slide toward World War III and reestablish US leadership at a time when international stability is increasingly threatened by Putin’s Axis of Autocrats.
It is important to acknowledge the role played by US President Joe Biden and the bipartisan backing of the Democratic and Republican parties, which have been instrumental in strengthening Ukraine since 2022. At the same time, it is clear that much more could have been done. As a Ukrainian, I sincerely hope the Trump administration will now go further.
As many commentators have pointed out, military aid to Ukraine is arguably one of the best foreign policy investments in United States history, significantly undermining the military capabilities of a key adversary without requiring any boots on the ground. Supporting Ukraine is also good for the economy. After all, most of the aid allocated to Ukraine is actually spent in the United States, creating jobs in the defense industry.
Voice of Ukraine 