Why the United States Should Support Ukraine

 Last Friday, President Trump and Vice-President Vance berated Ukrainian President Zelenskyy for not trusting Russian President Putin.  Zelenskyy has good reason not to trust Putin.  Russia had signed several treaties with Ukraine, guaranteeing their sovereignty and territorial integrity over the last several decades.  Putin blatantly violated these treaties with their aggressive assault on Ukraine and demands for ever more territory.

The war in Ukraine is not just a regional conflict; it is a battle between sovereignty and aggression, between international law and brute force. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was a blatant violation of multiple treaties in which it had recognized Ukraine’s territorial integrity. Furthermore, Russian President Vladimir Putin has openly dismissed Ukraine’s independence, falsely claiming that Ukraine is inherently part of Russia. These factors provide a clear moral and strategic justification for the United States to continue supporting Ukraine. By standing against Russia’s aggression, the U.S. upholds international law, the integrity of treaties, and the fundamental right of nations to self-determination.

For decades, Russia formally acknowledged Ukraine’s sovereignty through legally binding agreements. Among the most critical were the Budapest Memorandum (1994) and the Treaty on Friendship, Cooperation, and Partnership (1997). These treaties were not symbolic gestures but fundamental commitments made by Russia to respect Ukraine’s borders in exchange for strategic concessions.

These violations are not just betrayals of Ukraine but direct threats to the rules-based international order. If Russia is allowed to rewrite borders by force, it sets a dangerous precedent for other nations with territorial ambitions.

Beyond treaty violations, Russia’s justification for the invasion is rooted in a denial of Ukraine’s right to exist as an independent state. Putin has repeatedly claimed that Ukraine is not a real country and that it was “created” by Russia. These views were laid out in his 2021 essay, where he argued that Ukrainians and Russians are “one people” and that modern Ukraine was an artificial construct. How can peace be negotiated and expected to last when one side’s viewpoint doesn’t recognize the other's existence?

Putin’s expansionist ideology mirrors the logic of past aggressors, particularly those who sought to justify invasions by claiming a “right” to neighboring lands, i.e. Hitler and the Nazis.  Is Trump willing to play Chamberlain in this scenario?  What is he willing to sacrifice for short-term peace?