Glory to Ukraine

Slava Ukraini ~ Heroyam Slava

Publishing this blog on the Fourth of July is a reminder of the freedoms and independence that we Americans enjoy, but often take for granted. There are sadly millions of people who do not share such liberty or are facing war, famine, discrimination, totalitarianism, injustice, and other forms of human savagery that are difficult to comprehend. 

Since beginning this blog series in early 2022, I have focused primarily on social good and the solving of both causes and symptoms of inequality. While some of my more recent blogs and podcasts have focused on other aspects of “Tikkun Olam” (repairing the world), I ultimately see the purpose of this as sharing my thoughts on a more just, fair, and healthy society.

Since that time, the greatest source of turmoil that has had a direct impact on my family has been Russia’s unprovoked invasion of the sovereign nation of Ukraine and the attempted genocide against its people. My wife Toma (and her mom, who lives with us) come from Ukraine. In fact, my wife’s hometown of Enerhodar is home to the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Europe’s largest nuclear plant, which had been under occupation of Russia since the earliest days of the full-scale war in 2022. The occupation of this plant alone puts not only Ukraine, but virtually all of Europe and neighboring regions at risk.

Having grown up an American Jew with direct family members who were murdered by the Nazis in the Holocaust, the mantra of “Never Again” has echoed in my brain since childhood. And yet, history repeats itself. What Vladimir Putin is attempting to do in Ukraine is really no different from Hitler’s ambitions of the 1930s and 40s. It never really occurred to me that the same scale of naked colonial aggression would be repeated in my lifetime. Politics and international disputes can be messy and complicated, but it is rare to see such a brazen case of right versus wrong play out before our eyes. 

Ukraine has centuries of history as an independent nation with its territory, language, history, and culture, that are all distinct from that of Russia. As a city, Kyiv is 700 years older than Moscow. Yet Ukraine had been effectively absorbed into the Soviet empire, along with many other nations, during the 20th Century. It is apparent that Putin and his henchmen seek to reunify the Soviet Empire, and have chosen Ukraine as its victim. 

Since the start of full scale invasion, Russia has deployed a breathtaking series of hostile actions that are objectively war crimes. They have bombed schools, playgrounds, hospitals, and residential buildings. They have terrorized the country by repeatedly targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. Perhaps most horrifying is the systematic kidnapping of Ukrainian children, for which Putin has already been indicted by the International Criminal Court. Even more broadly, what’s at stake are the international rules of order that have essentially kept powerful countries from making land grabs on smaller countries since the end of the second world war. 

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, Ukraine looked toward the West for protection of its independence. Ukraine signed the Budapest Memorandum in 1994 whereby it gave up all of its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from the West. This commitment is one that signatories, including the United States, have an ironclad moral responsibility to uphold. The West really has no option but to militarily defeat Russia. I am no military strategist, but I have been carefully following the events surrounding this particular conflict since the full-scale invasion began almost 2.5 years ago. Democratic nations must help Ukraine to not just defend itself, but they need to truly step up to help Ukraine expel Russia from its sovereign, internationally-recognized borders, including all of Crimea and the Donbas region.

A victory for Ukraine is a victory for all civilized, democratic nations. It’s really as simple as that, and the implications of defeat are too catastrophic to even contemplate. With that in mind, there is much within the control of Western powers to ensure that this happens. It starts with getting over the notion that every new action that the West takes presents a risk of escalation. Ukraine’s allies must turn up the heat to ensure Russia retrenches to its own borders and gives up on its imperialist conquest. Here are a few ways that allied countries can increase their support for this objective:

• More Patriot batteries and missiles, as well as other defense systems, to defend every inch of Ukrainian territory from terrorist attacks from the air

• Significantly ramp up production artillery shells, long-range missiles, tanks, armored vehicles, drones, air defense systems, demining equipment, and other necessary hardware

• Tap into aging but still useful weapon and equipment stockpiles, much of which will become obsolete to current owners as they upgrade their own materials and capabilities

• NATO should close the skies over Western Ukraine by monitoring and patrolling airspace, reacting to any incoming projectiles, thereby allowing Ukraine to focus on defending the skies closer to the front lines

• Provide long-range Taurus cruise missiles from Germany, which are currently being held back due to irrational fears of escalation

• Greater supply of F-16s from the US and around the world, which are being held in storage and are facing retirement in light of new F-35s coming online

• Accelerate pace of training of F-16 pilots and maintenance personnel

• Deliver French Mirage, Dassault Super-Étendard, Swedish Gripen, and other fighter aircraft that are more useful in the hands of Ukraine than with their current owners

• More radar and reconnaissance aircraft, such as the ASC 890, of which two are being donated by Sweden

• Unrestricted right to for Ukraine use donated weapons however they see fit, including any military target on Russian territory that provides for Ukraine’s defense

• Commit troops to on-the-ground training and other non-combat roles

• Immediate transfer of all frozen Russian assets held in Western bank accounts 

• Stronger sanctions, including against those countries that are helping to fund the war

• Countries that have the means to do more must do more, such as Norway, a nation that hit the oil lottery and has a $1.6 TRILLION sovereign wealth fund that appreciated in value by more than $200 BILLION last year alone. A rainy day fund is one thing, but the country of Norway clearly can make an even more meaningful difference without sacrificing its financial future

Ukraine, for its part, is shouldering the burden for the civilized world. However, the country can do more to strengthen its troop numbers by freeing up more troops and introducing conscription for men aged 18-25. Previously conscription had been sent for only those aged 28 and above. The intention being that young men were needed to reproduce and start families at this age. However, in times such as these when able-bodied fighters are needed, this unfortunately needs to change and Ukraine should align its policies with those of most nations in this regard.

In the meantime, we are not helpless as individuals to contribute to the cause. My wife and I have personally donated to numerous organizations that provide humanitarian assistance. These include:

• Sunflower of Peace, a Boston-based organization that is providing medical, energy, financial, and other forms of assistance to those in need on the ground in Ukraine.

• Children of Heroes, an organization that is providing much-needed financial assistance to children who have lost one or both parents as a result of the war.

• World Central Kitchen (Chefs for Ukraine), part of the global organization of Chef Jose Andres that provides meals on the ground to those impacted by wars, famine, and natural disasters.

We have also directly supported Ukrainian defenders through the NAFO 69th Sniffing Brigade, a grassroots organization led by Estonian tech entrepreneur Ragnar Sass that is providing trucks, drones, generators, and other essential equipment directly to individual battalions on the battlefield. 

I also encourage everyone to stay on top of the latest developments from Ukraine by listening to YouTuber Jake Broe. He has been our most consistent and reliable source of information from the frontlines and has allowed us to stay current on developments that are impacting the direction of the fighting. As Jake likes to sign off from all of his videos, “Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the Heroes… Keep defending the truth. Keep defending democracy.”