I am the son of German immigrants, a former career, dedicated, armed forces service member who was almost killed by a Russian missile in Vietnam and a first generation high, school graduate who went on to major in political science. Frankly, I’m disturbed over current events. Why, you may wonder? Can it be because a vastly superior military power (Russia) decided several years ago to carve off yet another twenty percent of peace-loving Ukraine? Or, maybe it’s because the U.S., a former steadfast friend and ally of Kyiv has turned on Ukraine, itself? Or maybe, it’s because suddenly, all of the sympathetic members of Congress that were never shy to speak their mind in defense of Ukraine during the Biden administration have now lost their voice? Or their minds as well. Today, both America and Russia are fighting over Ukraine like vultures over a carcass. Russia is intent on seizing the infrastructure on the surface of this brave country while the U.S. is determined to acquire the valuable mineral rights under the ground of this peaceloving country. We’re watching the rape of a nation happen before our eyes. Russian is brutalizing the Ukrainian people. The U.S. meanwhile is trying to steal the victim’s watch. And many Americans are looking the other way. “Not my problem.” Until it happens to us, that is.
I’ve also have a strong steak of naivetè. I believe that we should conduct ourselves honorably as a nation, even if and especially if other nations do not. I believe in our doctrines dealing with the right of nations to determine their own form of government. I believed that we should lead by example, and not threaten other peaceful, friendly countries just because our President wants a special place in history as someone who acquired (one way or another) large tracts of territory taken from other nations under one pretense or another. How are we any different than Russia in that case? We’ve launched a trade war against Canada and it seems like the intent is to bring that country to its knees economically so we can force our will on them. This is not right. Canada has fought side-by-side with the U.S. against one foe or another and this is how we treat them?
UKRAINE
Currently, Russia has 60,000 Russian and North Korean soldiers in the Kursk Oblast of Russia, near the Ukrainian border. An unknown number of Ukranian forces are about to be split in half creating two extremely vulnerable salients for Kyiv to defend. President Trump is asking President Putin to be merciful and spare their lives. But then, if President Trump was so concerned about these brave warriors, then why did he cut off the supply of desparately needed munitions and intelligence to Ukraine, allowing Russia to threaten the Ukrainians when they are more vulnerable than ever? There will be enough blood in the coming days to stain more than one pair of hands here.
It’s taken two World Wars and a hundred years of good will to develop an outstanding relationship with the thirty other nations of NATO. Yet, President Trump has utterly destroyed this trust and respect for the U.S, in barely sixty days! For any nation in Europe or elsewhere to hope that America will even defend them in a time of need would make them even more naive than I.
THE BUDAPEST MEMORANDUM ON SECURITY ASSURANCES
When the Cold War ended with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union (USSR), the different countries in the USSR each went their own way. That was the good news. The bad news was that during the Cold War, Moscow had placed intercontinental ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads in some of these countries (including Ukraine.) Either the so-called “Nuclear Club” of independent countries in the world was about to double in size, or these warheads and missiles would have to be removed. These new nuclear countries (including Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine) understood the value of having these Doomsday weapons even if they did not know how to manage them from a technological or logistical standpoint. And even though they were on the road to democracy (more or less), there was always a chance they could be overthrown by some madman who could unleash Armageddon on the world. So, on December 5, 1994, the three principal nuclear powers in the world (the U.S., Russia, and the U.K.) signed a security agreement with Ukraine vowing to protect Ukraine from invasion. France and China agreed to go along in separate protocols. You can access the MEMORANDUM here, but I want to bring your attention to Point 2:
“2. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America reaffirm their obligation to refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Ukraine, and that none of their weapons will ever be used against Ukraine except in self-defense or otherwise in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.“
You can see that when Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014 and then again more recently, they violated the very pledge they made in Budapest to not do!.
I also want to mention Point 3:
“3. The Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America reaffirm their commitment to Ukraine, in accordance with the Principles of the CSCE Final Act, to refrain from economic coercion designed to subordinate to their own interest the exercise by Ukraine of the rights inherent in its sovereignty and thus to secure advantages of any kind.“
Isn’t this what the U.S. is doing right now as we try to coerce Ukraine into signing over a large portion of the country’s mineral rights to the U.S., undoubtedly for our advantage?
Now, President Putin of Russia would say that Russia invaded Ukraine as a matter of self-defense because Ukraine was attempting to join NATO which could possibly introduce hostile forces to the Russian border at some point in the future. Touché. President Trump might dismiss Point 3 by saying if Ukraine signed away their mineral rights as a token of gratitude to the U.S. military investment in their country, then our insistence that they do so as a condition of continued support would not be illegal. But among civilized nations, these conflicting and contending issues are points that should be brought before and litigated by international committees and transnational governing authorities. Otherwise, as President Trump said last month to President Zelenskyy “You’re gambling with World War III.” As we are ourselves at the moment.
I have been blogging about Ukraine for several years now. All Ukraine wants is what we want. They want to have safe, secure borders free from invading armies. They don’t want their children kidnapped and fostered out to families thousands of miles inside Russia. They want healthy, happy children and grandchildren.
What does Russia want? All Russia wants is Ukraine, itself. Every square inch, then then more. Moldova? Lithuania? Where will it end? Putin seems bent on rebuilding a glorious empire. And the U.S? We just want to squeeze as much profit as possible from that valuable piece of real estate and then dump it on the market. It’s like the closing scene of Orwell’s Animal Farm where you can no longer tell the pigs from the people.
Please let your elected leaders hear from you and tell them we need to honor our international obligations as a nation to other nations. I know. THat seems like a stretch when our current government is disavowing their obligation to American citizens. But we must stand for what is right. That is what will make America great. Our character and courage.