Hans Petter Midttun  

Nonresident fellow hos Centre of Defence Strategies

UkraineWorld has published the following brilliant summary of the state of affairs:

“Ok, let’s go to the basics

1. Are Ukrainians thankful for U.S. support? – Of course, immensely.
2. Would we have collapsed in a few weeks without support in 2022? – No, as the decisive force of the resistance was how society reacted and courageously engaged in resistance. Additionally, there were still a significant amount of Ukrainian and old Soviet weapons in 2022. However, U.S. assistance, including javelins, did play a significant role.
3. Are Ukrainian cities in ruins? – Some of them are, yes. Some others are occupied, with Russian torture chambers inside. – However, most of them are not, as cities like Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, and others, were bravely defended. Furthermore, thanks to allies’ support, including America, we have air defense that has been very helpful.
4. Do Ukrainians want peace? – Yes, immensely. More than anyone else. – Will they accept the Russian vision of peace as an occupation (or future occupation) or undermining Ukrainian sovereignty? – No.
5. Is any peace deal possible without Ukraine? – No.
6. Does Zelenskyy have “cards” in his hands? – Yes, he has Ukrainian resistance and support from allies.
7. Do Ukrainians come to America to teach Americans how to feel? No, of course not. But we do want to share how we feel. Being at war for so many years is a feeling that needs to be heard. It’s about empathy and being human. – We also want to share what we think, because we know Russia much better than anybody else.
8. What is strength? – Strength is not about humiliating the weaker. Strength is about supporting the weaker and challenging the stronger. This is where Christian values and human rights values coincide.
9. Will we have a chance to fix our relationship? – We certainly hope so. Ukrainians are thankful and respectful, but we are not a “thing” to talk about. We are the owners of our future, and we have proven our agency and subjectivity many times in the past decades.”

The simple truth is no more complicated than this.

The truth is, unfortunately, too often undermined by ignorance, disinformation and lies. Having repeatedly attacked the President of Ukraine and the country he represents – suggesting that Ukraine “may be Russian someday”; falsely blaming Ukraine for sparking the full-scale war with Russia; falsely accusing Zelenskyy of not holding any negotiations; lying about his approval rating; calling him a dictator without election; stating that Zelenskyy has done a terrible job and that Ukraine lays in ruins, and millions have died; lying about US and European aid to Ukraine AND absurdly arguing that Russia seeks peace – Trump and Vance have, over time, demonstrated the latter. Luckily, they do not represent the values of the majority of Americans.