Dear Editor:
In the August 21 edition of The Ukrainian Weekly, in their letter headlined “Like him or not, we need to lobby Trump,” Zenon Zawada, Darian Diachok and Bohdan Knianicky write: “What should be advocated for? Not lethal defensive weapons!” They argue that President Barack Obama was right in refusing Ukraine these weapons as this, they claim, would be counterproductive. According to them, “Military assistance has to be soberly negotiated.”
I do not agree with their mindset in light of the circumstances. A sober, comprehensive assessment of the situation attests to the fact that Vladimir Putin’s Russia is a danger to Western values, world peace and most immediately to independent Ukrainian statehood. Ukraine, as a consequence, must rely at this critical time on its military as an essential potential guarantor of the security and freedoms Ukrainians have strived for throughout the centuries.
In diplomacy, when nationhood is threatened, negotiations and agreements are best backed by the existing potential of the use of force in achieving one’s aims. This is a time-tested principle (since ancient times at least) in diplomacy and politics in general. To think this doesn’t apply when dealing with Mr. Putin’s Russia, or that the Ukrainian military is too irresponsible to be entrusted with up-to-date lethal defensive weapons is a grave mistake. Russia would not hesitate to use lethal force, as it has already proven, and thus the Ukrainian farm-boy soldiers deserve the best weapons possible to preserve the lives of their compatriots and their own lives, and to preserve an independent, viable Ukrainian state, which they swore to protect. It is a noble undertaking indeed.
Deny them the means to resist effectively, and a powerful message is sent to Moscow that, if need be, it can engage the Ukrainian military with minimal cost to itself in lives and equipment, while reasonably expecting significant territorial gains in a short time. Favorable odds might embolden Mr. Putin to act. On the other hand, the Ukrainian military, vulnerable in its defensive posture without up-to-date weapons is at a heightened risk of suffering grave losses in lives, equipment and territory; as a consequence, the Ukrainian nation also is at risk. More often than not, a well-armed (give them the tools for the job), highly motivated military, composed of patriotic citizens is the best deterrent against aggression.
It is best to pray for peace, but be ready for war.
Union, N.J.