Russian Vs Ukraine

The United States is deeply committed to the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. It supports the implementation of the Minsk agreements and has provided over $50 billion in assistance to Ukraine to date, including advanced military equipment. In the months since Russia’s February 24 invasion, Ukrainian determination and sacrifice have shattered the myth of an invincible Russian military machine. The flood of collaborators Moscow hoped would line up on its side in places like Kherson and other cities has not materialized, while Russia’s own ill-conceived military strategy and corrupt leadership have resulted in significant loss of troops and materiel.

Ukrainians of all linguistic and regional backgrounds have consolidated behind their government. In a remarkable display of defiance and unity, President Volodymyr Zelensky has emerged as a charismatic leader who has shattered the country’s inferiority complex as Russia’s “little brother.” The enormous suffering inflicted by Russian aggression – visible atrocities that may amount to war crimes and genocidal rhetoric on Russian state TV – presents an extraordinary moral challenge for Europe. Indifference is not an option.

For Putin and his entourage, the war against Ukraine is a matter of the survival of the Russian empire. Their claim that Ukrainians and Russians (and, supposedly, Belarusians) are one people and that Ukraine’s desire to separate from Russia is driven by external forces has persisted in elite circles and shapes the political thinking of many Russian analysts and officials.