So here we are – 4 years into Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine and 12 years after its brazen military aggression in Crimea and the Donbas. Who would have thought he could have gotten away with all this for so long?
Despite all odds at the start, and despite the hesitations and differences among its supporters, resulting in missed opportunities to make a decisive difference and stop the Russian aggression, we have what we have.
A brave Ukraine that has resisted, fought back, and held firm despite the far superior strength of its would-be subjugator and the help, appreciated but inconsistent and insufficient, from its Western friends.
We have witnessed a horrific war waged by Putin’s regime that has cost many tens of thousands of lives, destroyed many cities and towns, displaced millions, and undermined the international order.
It’s an offensive not just against Ukraine, but also Europe, the free world, and the international order as we’ve known it.
We have seen the supposed underdog, Ukraine, with Western help, rise to the occasion and, despite the heavy blows it has endured, beat back the Russian invaders.
Not only that, but by adapting to the role of defender of democratic Europe and the free world, transforming Europe, awakening it to harsh realities, and forcing it to prepare not only for the worst but also to address what is currently at stake.
The US under Donald Trump has not really helped. Unfortunately, it has only complicated matters. His administration has sought not only to appease Putin’s regime but also to make lucrative deals with it at the expense of others.
The worst feature here is Trump’s insistence that Ukraine, not Russia, make the compromises needed for a peace deal that would suit him and Putin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, along with key European leaders, has sought to make the best of this troubling situation, but clearly their understanding and patience are running short.
Trump, are you with Ukraine and Europe (I exempt Hungary’s perfidious Orban and Slovakia’s Fico), or do you want to further disgrace America’s reputation, Ukrainians and their supporters have been asking.
Fortunately, despite the complications, there are factors working in Ukraine’s favor.
Four years after its major onslaught against Ukraine, which was supposed to last a mere few days before the Kremlin’s flag was to be hoisted in Kyiv, Russia has been embarrassingly pushed back and exposed as far weaker than it had assumed itself to be.
Military failures – major losses of cannon fodder and difficulties of replacing it, the impact of international sanctions and isolation, economic strains at home and hardships, and Ukraine’s newly asserted capacity to hit back deep within Russia where it hurts, are taking their toll.
The walkover that Putin suggested in early 2022 has turned into a nightmare – a hike into a minefield.
So, as Europe awakens to the realities of the dangers Russia poses, the reality of US withdrawal, and the need to strengthen responsibility for its security and future, including relinquishing illusions and any residual energy dependence on Russia, Moscow has been left to depend on its pragmatist or its opportunist friends – China, India, and the like.
And in the meantime, important questions have arisen about the future place of democratic European Ukraine in the scheme of things.
And even more broadly, what new security architecture is needed to address the challenges posed by Russia, which Ukraine, through its brave stance, has endeavored to clarify and answer?
So, four years after Putin’s Russia shocked the free world by behaving like Hitler’s Germany with his blitzkrieg against peaceful Ukraine, it is more important than ever to dispel any illusions and doubts and to see his criminal actions for what they are and respond accordingly.
The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.