“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times …” and so begins the book, “A Tale of Two Cities”, by Charles Dickens. I think this phrase fittingly describes the current circumstances in which the Ukrainian American community finds itself today.
The Russian invasion against Ukraine has raised the global public profile of Ukraine and more Americans now know at least something about the country and its history and culture. Daily coverage in the press and broadcast news ensures that everyone in the U.S. has some basic awareness of what is happening and why the Russians invaded Ukraine. U.S. public opinion polls suggest that Americans still strongly support Ukraine in its courageous efforts to defend itself against a brutal and amoral Russian aggressor.
The coalition of the willing is an alliance of 31 countries led by the EU which are pledged to actively support Ukraine against Russian aggression. Never has Ukraine been able to count on the help of so many allies around the world. So, why does the U.S. continue to drag its feet regarding additional sanctions against Russia and active, fully engaged support?
The Trump administration continuously pays lip service when it comes to actively supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russia. Each day Russia escalates its brutal pounding of Ukraine with missiles and drones. Each day President Trump just repeats: “I am not happy about the whole situation … I am not happy with them. I’m not happy with anything having to do with that war.” When will his dissatisfaction turn into concrete action to aid Ukraine?
And Republicans in Congress largely remain silent now. What ever happened to their earlier support for Ukraine when the Russian invasion began in February 2022? Have they completely swallowed the bitter pill of “America First” and foreign-policy isolationism? Long gone are the days when Republicans were among the first to support democratic movements in Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union.
When I headed up the Republican Heritage Groups Federation of the State of New Jersey in the late 1970’s, the Republican Party openly supported the “Captive Nations” that were shackled to the Soviet Union. Now in the 21st century when Ukraine has chosen to be an integral part of the West, the Republican Party has been hijacked by a bunch of Know-Nothings who believe it is not in America’s best interest to help any country outside the US. Ronald Reagan would be ashamed of what his Republican Party has become.
Ukrainian Americans need to wake up to the current political reality in the U.S. They must contact their elected representatives and the White House to urge them to actively support Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression. Now is not the time for apathy. The Ukrainian American community has always been generous in its financial support of Ukrainian causes. But political support is also critically important now. Ukraine needs as many global active and engaged allies as possible and this must include the United States. Brutal Russian aggression against Ukraine will only continue to increase daily if President Putin believes that the U.S. is indifferent to the existence of an independent Ukraine allied with and fully supported by the West.
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