February 24, 2025 marks the three-year anniversary of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the free nations of NATO and the European Union have rallied behind their fellow democratic ally.
These past few weeks, however, President Donald Trump has hurled untrue and dangerous attacks at Ukraine while strengthening ties with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This is an unprecedented shift in the history of the United States and our allies. Make no mistake: Trump abandoning Ukraine would be the greatest betrayal of the 21st century.
To begin, we must set the record straight. Russia under Putin is well known for its ability to spread disinformation online, particularly through social media. U.S. security officials and our allies have warned the public repeatedly of this threat. However, Russian lies seem to have taken hold throughout our country, even in the Oval Office. Trump initially claimed last week that Ukraine started the war. Trump has since called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “dictator without elections.” These statements are typical of Putin and his Russian propaganda and are categorically untrue.
First, it was Russia who illegally invaded Ukraine, partially in 2014 and fully in 2022, to prevent Ukrainians from forming a more democratic and independent country. It was Russia, under Putin’s totalitarian and expansionist government, who enacted a war of aggression for territory and influence that has led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Ukrainian men, women and children. Ukraine is only fighting because it was invaded. There is a common protest slogan that rings undeniably true: “If Russia stops fighting, there will be no more war. If Ukraine stops fighting, there will be no more Ukraine.”
In addition, Zelensky is not a dictator. He was elected with around 74% of the vote in the second round of the 2019 Ukrainian presidential election. Due to Russia’s current invasion of its territory, as well as the necessary implementation of martial law, Ukraine is unable to hold a new election. The best and only way for Ukraine to hold safe and secure elections is for Russia to end its unjust war. For Trump to spread Putin’s lies is dangerous and the attitude of a fellow authoritarian.
Trump has also largely avoided saying anything negative about Putin and is pushing the U.S. to ally closer with him and Russia. It must be emphatically repeated that Putin is an authoritarian dictator who jails, poisons and kills his political opposition. Russians have no freedom of speech or protest if they disagree with Putin or the war. The U.S. cannot ally with a Russian government that hates democracy and freedom. We must not abandon our democratic allies in NATO and the EU who have watched our backs for so many decades.
Unfortunately, Trump ordered his administration earlier this month to unilaterally negotiate with Russia to end the war without the diplomatic involvement of Ukraine or Europe. This is eerily similar to the Munich Agreement of 1938 in which the United Kingdom and France negotiated the fate of Czechoslovakia with Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany and Benito Mussolini’s Fascist Italy. This conference — held without Czechoslovakia — gave up a portion of their country to Hitler and Germany during the failed period of appeasement. Hitler, of course, went on to annex all of Czechoslovakia, invade Poland and start World War II less than a year later.
Russia has had a similar demand that they just want the territories they have illegally annexed in Ukraine’s east and south. However, Russia’s goal in 2022 was to invade the entire country, destroy the democratically elected Ukrainian government and install a puppet regime loyal to Putin. There are currently no guarantees that Russia won’t restart the war in a few months and continue to annex territory like Hitler did.
Trump cannot repeat history and betray Ukraine. Zelensky said his country could not accept a peace deal without involvement from the U.S. We cannot blame him for that. If the U.S. was invaded by another country, we would also refuse to accept a deal that we were left out of. Trump has offered to give aid to Ukraine in exchange for rights to half of the country’s minerals. This is a shameful attempt at extortion from one democratic country aimed towards another. Such a deal would add up to a massive amount of Ukraine’s GDP and could destabilize their economy and country long term. Ukraine is the victim and not the aggressor of this war and should not be the one punished.
We must demand that Trump and his administration work together with Ukraine, Europe and NATO to stand against Putin’s Russia and its authoritarianism, expansionism and disregard for human life. Ukraine and its people desire peace, democracy, freedom and territorial integrity. That is everything that the U.S. stands for — or should anyway. If we betray Ukraine and our own ideals, then future historians will forever condemn our actions.
I don’t know the best way to secure peace for Ukraine. There are many options, but we must be certain to pursue a path with Ukraine and our free European allies. We cannot help Russia subjugate innocent and freedom-loving people in their current or future occupied territories. A true peace that achieves freedom can only be won with a lot of time, resources and dedication. But isn’t that worth it? Don’t we want to live in a 21st century that promotes liberty and not tyranny?
I know the world I want to live in and it’s not the one that sees the U.S. on the wrong side of history.
Walker Kinsler is a senior at UT this year studying political science and history. He can be reached at [email protected].
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