Legislators Denounce Russia for War with Ukraine

It has been eight months since Russia invaded Ukraine and seized Crimea. Soon afterward Russian mercenaries – its hired guns from many countries – began pouring into eastern and southeastern Ukraine, waging war and razing peaceful Ukrainian towns and villages.

For nearly three-quarters of a year very few government leaders and pundits refused to accept the terms invasion and war in reference to what Russia has been doing in Ukraine. They rather chose a variety of antiseptic terms that did not force them to undertake uncompromising actions to stop Russia from subduing Ukraine, re-subjugating Ukraine, then invading the nearest former captive nation and doing the same.

Sanctions failed to stem the flow of Russian mercenaries, tanks, armor, artillery and now regular Russian troops into Ukraine. The world remains pathetically fearful and tepid in its response to Russia.

However, today’s Russian rapid escalation of its war with Ukraine has caused a few to take note of the invasion and war.

President Barack Obama said today about the situation in Ukraine that he spoke with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and that the two agree “Russia is responsible for the violence in eastern Ukraine.”

“The new images of Russian forces inside Ukraine make that plain for the world to see,” Obama said, noting he would meet with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko next month at the White House. But enough about Ukraine, he then turned to the crisis with ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Regrettably, it’s not violence that should cause you concern, Mr. President, it’s Russia’s war against Ukraine.

US legislators are continuing their criticism of the White House’s inaction and denouncing Russia for waging this historically inevitable war with Ukraine.

Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ), a member of the Congressional Ukrainian Caucus who represents northern New Jersey issued a statement today forcefully admitting that Russia is “supporting, arming, and fighting alongside the separatists,”

 “While multilateral sanctions are an important part of stopping Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine, we must also ensure the Ukrainian people are able to defend their families and homeland. The United States stands with the Ukrainian people, and I am proud to have helped introduce bipartisan legislation that would authorize the President to provide military assistance to Ukraine and reaffirms our commitment to helping Ukrainians. Even though they are not in NATO, Ukraine is a friend of the United States, and it is unacceptable that we not provide them the means to defend themselves and preserve their territorial integrity.”     

Pascrell is correct in urging Washington to treat Ukraine as a friendly country that needs and deserves American help – to preserves its territorial integrity, an important statement that attests to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and indivisibility.

Also today Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) released the following statement on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine:

“Russia's ongoing aggression in Ukraine can only be called one thing: a cross-border military invasion. To claim it is anything other than that is to inhabit President Putin’s Orwellian universe.

“For months, the critics of providing arms and additional assistance to Ukraine have warned that doing so could provoke a Russian invasion. Everything the critics said would happen if we did more to help Ukraine has now happened anyway. Believing that the answer now is to do more of the same, or to do even less, is folly. Such a minimalist policy has been a large part of the current problem. It is most certainly not the answer now. Instead, the United States and our European allies should immediately begin providing intelligence and defensive weapons to Ukraine, including anti-armor systems. We should also impose real sectoral sanctions on Russia – not the half-measures taken to date, but full sanctions on Russia’s defense, financial, energy, and other sectors.

“This is a moment to speak and act with clarity. A sovereign nation in the heart of Europe is being invaded by its larger neighbor. This runs completely contrary to the civilized world that America and our partners have sought to build since World War II. If we will not or cannot defend our own values now, as well as friends who share them, the future will be dark and dangerous indeed, not just for Ukraine but for us too.”

There will be more statements in the near future. Governments, such as Canada and the US have also announced boosting their military presence in Eastern Europe. Indeed, they and others must fulfill their commitment to protecting the x-captive nations.

Words will not stop Russia from fulfilling its imperial manifest destiny. The battle to do so must be waged in Europe or else it will be waged on the Atlantic Coast of the United States.

Traditional friends of Ukraine are continuing to call for military aid for Ukraine while America’s and global liberals have turned a deaf ear to Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

Ending the Russian War vs Ukraine

President Poroshenko tweeted this statement after the Minsk meeting. This is my translation of his original Ukrainian:

“We do not impose and do not want anyone to impose on us a form of internal device or external direction of integration. Ukrainian people made their choice in favor of a unitary, democratic and European state.

“I am convinced that today the only possible tool to stop the bloodshed and to ensure post-conflict reconstruction of Donbass is a peaceful settlement. I called on all participants in Minsk to consider and adopt it as a basis for resolving the situation. It is imperative to do everything to stop the supply of equipment and weapons to militants and such control is possible only with the involvement of the OSCE in monitoring and verification of the border.

“Glory to Ukraine!”

What President Poroshenko said is great for after the Russian war versus Ukraine has ended. And it can only be considered ended if Russia concedes, surrenders, withdraws and agrees to reparations.

“Glory to the Heroes!”

23rd Anniversary of Ukrainian Independence

With Ukraine embroiled in a life-and-death war with Russia, it is heartening to recognize that the President of Ukraine, Petro Poroshenko, is an self-confident Ukraine patriot, who has not shirked his leadership responsibility in these times that try men’s souls, and is capable of rallying the Ukrainian nation not only to defend Ukraine and reaffirm its independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Without overestimating his vast enlightening influence on Ukrainians, Petro Poroshenko is the Ukrainian leader whose time has come.

Assuming the presidency at a time of Ukraine’s war with its age-old nemesis, Russia, Poroshenko has stood shoulder to shoulder with the Ukrainian people, encouraging them to soldier on and consoling them when they buried their dead. He has looked Putin in the eye without blinking and he has called on the world leaders to stand up and support Ukraine now.

Taking part in the Independence Day military parade is a president responsibility, also performed Poroshenko’s predecessors but his message far surpassed anything that they have uttered.

Today, Poroshenko declared: “We swear allegiance to you, Ukraine!” on the occasion of the 23rd Anniversary of the Independence of Ukraine, converting all who heard and read these words into one, unitary Ukrainian family.

He also emphasized: “Never in 23 years has this day been so majestic as today. People have never celebrated it as sincerely as today, with Ukrainian flag in every window, on every balcony. And all of it is happening despite hard times for the country.”

Poroshenko acknowledged that developments of recent months are a real war for Ukraine – not a hybrid war as some in the West would call it – though it hasn’t been declared as such. He predicted that perhaps it will go down in history as Patriotic War 2014.

“The war against foreign aggression. For Ukraine, for its will, dignity and glory, for the people. For Independence,” Poroshenko said, reinforcing in the minds of Ukrainians everywhere that this inevitable war with Russia is about the livelihood of future generations of Ukrainians. Undoubtedly, what is happening today should have happed 23 years ago for a revolution or war of independence that is not blessed by blood does not have staying power.

Poroshenko emphasized that fight for victory became a nationwide movement, a matter of urgency for everyone. “I am confident that the battle for Ukraine, for independence will end up successfully for us due to the nationwide solidarity multiplied by courage and heroism of our warriors,” he stated.

Poroshenko said a new Ukrainian army was born in the past six months under hell fire and brimstone battles. The expression “defender of Motherland” has received concrete meaning, he said. “There are a lot of battles and dates in the heroic chronicle of the Ukrainian army worthy to become the Day of Defender of Motherland. Ukraine will never again celebrate this holiday under military-historical calendar of the neighboring country. We will honor defenders of our Motherland, not someone else’s!” Poroshenko emphasized, tearing yet another chain that has linked Ukraine to Russia for too long.

Poroshenko thanked warriors for their allegiance to oath, service to Ukraine, their sacrificial defense and noted that he would like to bow to every Ukrainian woman “who lost husband or son, grandson or brother … who believes in victory and is waiting for the return of her native, best, beloved.”

Poroshenko expressed particular gratitude to volunteers. “Your help has been especially important in the first weeks of aggression when we inherited the state without army, police, special services, weapons,” the President said.

At this point we’d like to pay our respect to the only Ukrainian American who gave his life for Ukraine’s independence – Mark Paslawsky who was killed in combat in Donbas.

“Our enemy has been training hard for a long time to attack Ukraine. And we were not prepared for such an insidious treachery,” the President emphasized recalling the ancient Roman wisdom: “Si vis pacem, para bellum” – “If you want peace, prepare for war.”

Emphasizing that war was not Ukraine’s initiative and it had been launched from abroad, Poroshenko noted: “Our choice is peace, implementation of the peace plan for the Donbas which I have elaborated and offered in June already. But steps towards peace cannot be unilateral and be made at the cost of sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine.”

Noting that unfortunately Ukraine will always face a military threat, Poroshenko said Ukrainians must learn to live with that. “We must always be ready to defend independence,” he said revealing that billions of hryven would be allocated for the upgrade of arms and military equipment already until the end of the year. It is planned to allocate 40 billion hryven for the rearmament and upgrade of military equipment in 2015-2017.

“We will manage to defend the Independence, life and security of everyone, our right to live freely on our Ukrainian land at the cost of colossal efforts of the entire nation,” Poroshenko said.

Poroshenko’s words today have something in common with Roosevelt and Churchill, whose oratory contributed to the free world’s defeat of Hitler’s Nazi Germany in 1945.

We wish Ukraine and President Poroshenko the same good fortune on Ukrainian Independence Day 2014.