A few weeks back, I shared a thoughtful and eye-opening letter from a man named Valerie Pekar, who helped provide insight on the US-Russia-Ukraine nightmare from the perspective of a Ukrainian reformer.
Because subscribers found it helpful, let me share another piece sent by the same Ukrainian family friend. It also comes from Professor Pekar—and was shared on Persuasion — American Purpose. You can read it in its entirety HERE. But here are a few eye-opening observations and excerpts:
“The average Ukrainian perceives the United States as a model of democracy and a force that supports it in all corners of the world. We are accustomed to this regardless of whether Republicans or Democrats are in power, and we remember with gratitude the names of the most prominent American presidents of both parties. Therefore, the events of the last month have come as a shock. It turned out that everything we thought we knew about America could turn upside down in a matter of weeks.”
…
He points out that the accusation that the democratically elected Zelensky is a dictator—“[a]t the same time [that] no similar accusation [is] made against the Russian leader, who has been in power for 25 years[—]literally repeats Russian propaganda. We have never before seen the leader of a world democracy quote Russian state propagandists—who, by the way, always generously embellish their statements with calls to destroy America, turn it into nuclear ashes, and capture Washington, DC.”
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He points out that the new Trump zeal for Ukrainian minerals is “an attempt to take advantage of the victim’s difficult position, and to turn previously provided non-refundable military aid into an unpaid bill for future generations for an amount that is five times higher than American expenses.”
“The idea of transferring Ukrainian mineral resources to the United States was happily supported by Putin, who declared that he is ready to share with America the resources of the Ukrainian territories he occupied. Here it became clear that we are not dealing with peacemaking like that of Munich in 1938, but with an ordinary bribe following a theft: a new version of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact.”
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He reminds us that what Putin seeks here is not more Ukrainian territory: “Russia has vast territories, undeveloped and neglected. Russia is fighting to destroy Ukrainian statehood and identity, as it did 100 years ago….Surrender is not an option for us, because it means not life, but death. So Ukraine must resist, regardless of who our allies are and who not.”
And he closes by saying all this is a needed wake-up call to those in America who value democracy:
“Regardless of how one views Ukraine (our country is very imperfect), uniting with an international terrorist, repeating his propaganda, copying his behavior, and jointly attacking the values of the free world and Western civilization means that America’s friends on every continent will be extremely surprised and disappointed. This is not just about values, but also about gains and losses. A world order based on agreements and rules is beneficial to the United States, because it is the foundation of free and secure trade and investments. A world order based on the right of the strong is not beneficial to the United States, because to prove that you are strong, you will have to shed American blood.
Now is the time for freedom advocates in America to speak out. The excuse that “we can’t do anything” is exactly what brought Putin to power in Russia and turned him into a dictator and warmonger of whom Russians will be ashamed for generations to come.”
He’s right.
That shameful Oval Office meeting made it clear how Americans of all pesuasions must speak out.
Day 90 — March 1, 2025
Speaking of speaking out, here are the three statements I could find from Republicans actually criticizing the Oval Office meeting:
Good for them.
The three of them.
That’s right, just three!
The real story is that this seems to be about it. Apparently, no one else on the Republican side can find the courage to say a word about that disgraceful display (outside of blaming Zelensky and cheering Trump) and the abandonment of America’s commitment to democratic values—which is of course why it keeps getting worse.
Marco Rubio’s appearance in the meeting sums up the rest of the GOP’s cowardice:
Here was my reaction as I watched the Rubio footage, knowing that, for years, he was a champion for Ukraine and against what Russia is doing:
We live once.
We each have one legacy.
I will never understand those who choose to sell their souls for power, money, ego.
Only to feel and look like Rubio does in this image, with the whole nation watching.
Imagine it: in your brief time on this Earth, you agree to be part of what Trump is doing right now.
And that’s it.
That’s all you did.
As unfathomable as it is, it just keeps happening.
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