Author: David Kirichenko
Nearly three years ago, on February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ending decades of relative peace in Europe. What many thought would be a quick Russian victory turned into a long and brutal war. Against all odds, Ukraine stood tall, defending its land with a determination that left the world in awe. Unable to defeat Ukraine on the battlefield, Russia resorted to nuclear threats to intimidate its supporters, aiming to paralyze the West and force Ukraine to fight with its hands tied.
As Ukraine enters the fourth year of Russia’s invasion, the world watches to see whether the U.S. will stand by supporting Ukraine or sacrifice lasting peace for a quick deal with рutin.
For those watching from afar, the Russia-Ukraine war has become a test of principles and a reminder of history. The echoes of the 1930s are hard to ignore. Some now suggest that Ukraine should give up territory to appease Vladimir Putin, much like Czechoslovakia was forced to hand over the Sudetenland in 1938 in a failed attempt to prevent a larger war.
U.S. President Donald Trump recently said, “Ukraine should have never started it. They could have traded land.” He also proceeded to call the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator.
"’A Dictator without Elections, Zelenskyy better move fast or he is not going to have a Country left.’ If you'd told me just three months ago that these were the words of the US president, I would have laughed out loud,” former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said
following Trump's attack on Zelensky.
Ukraine’s fight is about more than its own survival. It is about the future of the international order that has kept the world safe since WWII, the defense of democratic values, and the dangers of allowing aggression to go unchallenged. Around the world, ordinary people who once felt powerless have become activists, donors, volunteers, and even fighters, determined to stand with Ukraine.
However, the question remains: Is this our 1938 moment?
As the war enters its fourth year, we have spoken to Ukraine’s supporters from different countries to hear their thoughts on what this moment in time means and what must come next.
A village in Kharkiv Oblast near the Russian border that was hit by Russian bombs. Photo: David Kirichenko
Marybeth Harrison, Canada
Like many people around the world, I was horrified to watch Russia launch its illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. I was shocked and continue to be shocked that a world leader can so brazenly violate international laws and agreements to invade a peaceful, free, and independent European country.
I became a staunch supporter of Ukraine: flying the Ukrainian flag on my rooftop, attending rallies, donating to organizations like Dzyga’s Pawand even learning the language. In December, I traveled to Ukraine to volunteer, first in Lviv with the Lviv Volunteer Kitchenand then in Zaporizhzhia with Hopeful Pizza.
My reflections on the past three years? Putin sickens me. His war sickens me. The killing, the torture, the senseless loss of life. The suffering inflicted on millions. The destruction. The lack of decisive support from other countries. It all sickens me.
What I want is for the world to unite against Putin and everything he represents: greed, violence, brutality, repression, and oppression. I want Russia to be forced to retreat from all of Ukraine. And I want Ukraine to emerge stronger than ever, an unyielding force for justice and sovereignty in the world.
Nicolas Fränkel, France
I first visited Ukraine just after the Revolution of Dignity. I have photos of Independence Square filled with demonstrators and portraits of Ukrainians who gave their lives for their country’s freedom. At the time, I felt helpless, but I supported Ukraine in the way I knew how, by speaking at an IT conference.
Since then, I have returned to Ukraine many times. I made friends there. I saw people just like me preparing Molotov cocktails in February 2022. I saw others take up arms and fight on the front lines.
I was in Ukraine again in January 2022, just one month before the full-scale invasion. And I returned in 2024, twice, to Lviv, again showing my support through IT events.
We, the collective West, are failing Ukraine. We are allowing a land grab to take place in the 21st century, and we will bear responsibility for the consequences. The next world war is already taking shape even if most people refuse to see it. I do not want my son to lose his life in a war that could have been prevented. We must do everything we can to support Ukraine and send a clear message across Europe: any nation foolish enough to attempt conquest by force must and will be utterly defeated.
Alexander Lipniski, United Kingdom
Three years have passed. Eleven years have passed. It is difficult to reflect on something that is not yet over. Living on the other side of Europe, I can no longer look at a map of Ukraine without feeling a deep sense of emotion. My mind drifts to Donetsk, Luhansk, Mariupol, Volnovakha, Bakhmut, Toretsk, and so many other places.
I believe that over these past eleven years, the West has failed to fully grasp what Ukraine and Russia truly are and where they fit in Europe’s future. The actions taken today should have been taken a decade ago. Trade should have ceased, sporting events withdrawn, sanctions applied to the absolute maximum, and a total boycott of Russia should have begun the moment Russian soldiers set foot in Crimea.
That said, Ukraine has made mistakes too, both domestically and internationally. It has lacked cynicism and accountability. From the Budapest Memorandum to its struggles with governance, to its failure to crack down on oligarchs and corruption, even in wartime. (Ukraine's position on the Corruption Perceptions Index has actually worsened since 2023, ranking 105th in the world.) In my view, no country today has a more urgent need to confront corruption, treachery, and internal weakness than Ukraine. Ukraine’s post-2014 leadership also failed to fully recognize the scale of what was happening in the Donbas.
Yet despite these flaws, I will continue to support Ukraine in whatever way I can, financially and morally. It is not even a question. Supporting Ukraine is essential to the broader security of Europe, a reality that many continue to ignore. I support Ukraine because of my family, its rejection of imperialism, and its stand against Russian aggression in the 21st century.
What happens next is uncertain. Both Zelensky and Putin will struggle to define “victory” for their nations if negotiations ever take place. But negotiation assumes that Russia is even willing to adhere to an agreement, something it has blatantly refused to do since the Minsk Protocols. Ironically, those who push for diplomacy often ignore Russia’s repeated violations of past deals.
A husband and wife serving together in Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Assault Brigade. Photo: David Kirichenko
William Gibbon, United Kingdom
When the invasion began I was taken aback; I and the rest of the world watched the military buildup, but never really expected that Russia would cross the border into Ukraine. The brutality that followed, all in the name of theft and an unashamed land grab was horrendous.
I have gradually escalated my support for Ukraine over the three years from one off donations to regularly supporting various charities, but mostly Dzyga’s Paw.
Supporting Ukraine is essential to the continued safety and prosperity of all those countries who may at some point in the future, require the rule of law to keep in check stronger neighbours. It is crucial now that anyone who does not want to live in an 'alpha male' world where superpowers just take what they choose. It's important that those who rely on the rule of law speak up.
Mykola Kuzmin, United Kingdom
Reflecting on three years of Russia’s war against Ukraine, it’s hard to ignore how far-reaching the effects have been. What initially seemed like a localised conflict has turned into a critical moment for global stability, testing the resolve of democratic nations and the international system as a whole.
The bravery of the Ukrainian people has been nothing short of inspiring, and watching the world rally around their cause has shown the power of unity in the face of aggression. I chose to support Ukraine because the fight they’re engaged in represents something much bigger than any one nation.
It’s a defence of sovereignty, democracy, and human rights. The courage and resilience they have demonstrated have only deepened my commitment to their cause. Over the past three years, seeing the Ukrainian people endure unimaginable hardships while standing firm against an imperial aggressor has only reinforced the need for ongoing support.
Looking ahead, I believe the next steps will require continued diplomatic pressure, economic support, and, most importantly, military assistance. The war is far from over, and Ukraine’s sovereignty is still under threat. Supporters of Ukraine must focus on ensuring that both military aid and international diplomatic efforts remain strong and resolute, regardless of the challenges ahead. It is crucial that the world doesn’t grow fatigued or distracted, as the implications of this conflict extend far beyond Ukraine’s borders.
Michael Dolenga, United States
I support Ukraine because of my ancestry and my fervent belief that a people should have the right to self determination. My family has had too many horrors visited upon them by Muscovites and the thought of them again terrorizing innocent people is anathema to me.
MLK observed that we will remember the silence of our friends more than the words of our enemies. I think of this quote when I think of how Ukraine has been abandoned by those who were thought to be friends. Signatories to the Budapest Memorandum have failed to honor their word. Biden offered watered down assistance with ludicrous restrictions and in the end, wound up dragging out the war to the point where Trump, via his instrument Rubio, is now able to offer Ukraine up on a silver platter.
I hold out little hope that the USA will somehow do the right thing now. Churchill once said that Americans will do the right thing after trying everything else, but I think it is far too late. The slow decline of Pax Americana is now rapidly accelerating for all to see. Bush 41 abandoned the Kurds to their fate after urging them to rise up against Saddam, and now Ukraine is added to that increasingly long list.
I am not optimistic that after 3 years of witnessing horrors that the EU will step up either. It is all too easy for those comfortably in power to ignore what is going on. There will be more talk in opulent settings, but unless that is matched by hard power, and quickly, the road ahead for Ukraine is a bleak one. I fear it will take the eventual Muscovite incursion into EU territory for them to finally wake up. The ultimate price they will pay will be far greater than acting now.
I think Ukrainians have no choice but to continue the fight. They have the intellectual edge in this battle, and if they can hang on to develop their own defense industry, I hope we can someday see a “Fortress Ukraine”which does not depend on anyone for their security. Si vis pacem, para bellum.
Anatoliy, commander of a mortar battery unit from Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Assault Brigade. Photo: David Kirichenko
Adrian Iliescu, United States
I support Ukraine because it is the right thing to do. When a bully picks on someone, siding with the victim is morally correct for anyone with a gram of decency. When the largest country in the world seeks to grab a little more land in spite of the numerous agreements it has signed, it makes a mockery of international law.
I support Ukraine because it is the only country in the world to give up its nuclear weapons. I recall when that happened and how naive I was, thinking that this was just the beginning of worldwide nuclear disarmament. They were promised security guarantees, yet they were repeatedly invaded by Russia, one of the signatories. It is only just that Russia should be punished for its betrayal. Failure to do so not only sets the stage for a new age of empires but also leads to another nuclear arms race, one in which every country will seek nuclear weapons to secure its independence. Then global annihilation will be only one accident away.
I support Ukraine because its people stood up. From their leadership to ordinary citizens, they could have surrendered, yet they stood their ground. They stood in front of tanks, protested occupiers, picked up guns and made Molotov cocktails, and volunteered on the front lines. Teachers and students, taxi drivers, welders, IT workers, lawyers, and farmers took up arms. Men and women alike, Catholics, Orthodox Christians, Protestants, Jews, and Muslims alike.
They cooked meals, made camouflage nets, trench candles, ran fundraising campaigns, distributed aid, evacuated people from frontline cities, and advocated for their country and their right to exist. A people who help themselves are worthy of our support, even if that means simply never forgetting.
Never forget the atrocities russia committed.
The massacres in Mariupol, Bucha, Irpin, and Izium. The Kramatorsk train station attack. The bombing of Ohmatdyt Children's Hospital. The Kakhovka dam explosion. The human safaris in Kherson and so many other frontline villages. The bombing, often double-taps, of schools, hospitals, and churches. The daily bombardments of civilian infrastructure all over Ukraine. The destruction of countless cities. Bakhmut, Severodonetsk, Avdiivka, Vovchansk, Marinka, Pokrovsk.
Natalia Carpintero, Spain
I have supported Ukraine from the very beginning because it seemed to me to be the biggest case of abuse and gratuitous aggression I have ever seen in my life. An injustice without any ifs or buts, so absolute that it felt personal. Here there was no story of two rivals attacking each other since before I was born, but a country run by a tyrant who wanted to get his paws on another democratic and free country, which did no harm to anyone and went about its business.
I immediately thought that this could have been us, because they were ordinary people, with occupations and jobs like ours, living a life that could have been ours, in a country not so different. The only difference is that we do not have Russia next door, thank God for its favors.
I also support them because they represent everything I believe in: honor, courage, strength, patriotism, love for your country and your flag and the ability to say “do you think you can handle me? We will see.”
I did not expect such a reaction, that is the truth; but when it came up it was like… oh please, where have these amazing people been until now? Since then they have my heart completely. And the more they resist and the more they stand up to the enemy, the more I love them.
Right now their friends have to ask them , what do you need, what do you want from us? Because these are uncertain times and we have all been as pissed off as we have been perplexed by what is happening. So no one is better than them to show us what we can do. Do we continue to help as always through donations or is there something else that can help them? For me it is important to know how I can help them better, I wish someone would give me an answer.
As for the politicians, I don't expect great things from them, damn cowards. I think they should finally do what they have not done until now, which is exactly to openly take Ukraine's side and form a common front against the monster, who has now brought a little friend with him.
As for Ukraine itself, its citizens and its government, I think they don’t have to change their roadmap if this monster doesn’t back down. If two guys met to decide about my house without me, what does that concern me? “Oh, but they can attack them,” someone might think. Well, that’s already happening, it’s not like it’s anything new. It’s their country, it’s their people, I hope they don’t let anyone decide for them.
They’re worth much more and they know it. So I hope they give them the middle finger and keep shooting. Слава Україні і хрен з ними.