OPINION:
The tide is shifting against the Russians in their war of aggression. The time is exactly right for Congress to pass the latest supplemental spending bill to support Ukraine and ensure Russia’s defeat.
This conflict should never have occurred. In 1994, Russia, the United States and Britain signed the Budapest Memorandum, guaranteeing Ukraine’s security and sovereignty in exchange for Ukraine giving up the world’s third-largest nuclear arsenal.
Russia’s invasion shattered that promise. More than four years of brutal carnage later, Russia’s ruthless attacks on population centers have laid waste to large portions of Ukraine, destroying more than 70% of its energy grid.
Despite these devastating losses, the Ukrainian people’s resilience, innovation and sheer will to survive have changed things. Through necessity, Ukraine has fundamentally altered the nature of modern warfare, rapidly developing and deploying cutting-edge technology, such as:
World-class electronic warfare: Ukraine’s unmanned aerial systems and counter-drone capabilities are now the best in the world — so much so that the U.S. military is actively studying and adapting them.
Autonomous frontlines: Ukraine has perfected unmanned ground systems. In a historic first, a squad of Ukrainian combat robots recently forced the surrender of a Russian unit without a single human infantryman on the line, proving that warfare has been permanently revolutionized.
Beyond defense, Ukraine represents a massive economic opportunity. The nation possesses enormous storage capacity for oil and natural gas, alongside vast, untapped deposits of critical minerals. Rebuilding “Ukraine 2.0” means revitalizing the “breadbasket of the world” and partnering with a nation poised to become one of the strongest economies and militaries in Europe.
Finally, we must address the persistent misinformation circulating around Washington that Ukraine is too corrupt to receive further funding. This is simply false. Although breaking away from systemic, Soviet-era corruption takes time, Ukraine has aggressively developed some of the world’s most sophisticated, transparent anti-corruption programs for public officials.
We cannot let up now. Contact your members of Congress today and urge them to approve the Ukraine Support Act, which is awaiting a vote in the House of Representatives.
HOWIE LIND
Senior adviser, U.S.–Ukraine Business Council
Washington
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