Ukraine On My Mind
Olga Lautman
Jan 2, 2025
While the world celebrated the holidays, Ukraine continued to endure unrelenting bombardment, a stark reminder of the ongoing horrors inflicted by Russia’s war of aggression and genocide. As we enter the new year, Ukraine faces not just Russia but the axis of evil, including North Korean troops and Chinese and Iranian weapons that prop up the Kremlin’s war machine. An impending betrayal compounds this precarious fight: in mere weeks, the United States is poised to abandon its commitments, ceasing to be a reliable ally for Ukraine.
This grim reality highlights a bitter historical irony. Ukraine would never have faced Russia’s invasion in 2014 had the United States and the United Kingdom not pressured it to relinquish its nuclear arsenal in exchange for guarantees of sovereignty under the Budapest Memorandum. Those guarantees, intended to safeguard Ukraine, proved hollow when Russia illegally annexed Crimea, launched a war of aggression, and occupied parts of eastern Ukraine. The West’s failure to honor these commitments left Ukraine vulnerable, compelling it to defend its sovereignty against overwhelming odds. However, Europe and the United States corrected course in 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion, putting their support behind Ukraine—a commitment for which Ukrainians are profoundly grateful.
Ukraine’s Fight Against Genocide
As we mark the beginning of a new year, Ukraine’s resilience in the face of aggression is both inspiring and heart-wrenching. The Kremlin’s atrocities, bolstered by North Korean troops and weapons from China and Iran, are nothing short of horrific. Ukraine’s fight goes beyond its own borders—this is a battle for sovereignty, democracy, and the very principles of freedom. Ukrainians are sacrificing their blood to stop Russia’s imperialist ambitions from spreading further.
For decades, Russia has openly declared its imperialist intentions. Should Ukraine fall, the consequences would ripple across all of Europe. Moldova, the Baltics, and other nations would undoubtedly be next, left to face a trail of horror and atrocities similar to those seen in Ukraine. This is not just Ukraine’s war—it is a fight to preserve global security and democratic values.
Yet, as this unfolds, there continue to be increasing calls for Ukraine to negotiate and surrender its people in territories occupied by Russia. Yes, you read that right—not calls for Russia to retreat, but for Ukraine to give up its land and citizens to an aggressor actively committing genocide.
In the Russian-occupied territories, it’s not just about land—Ukrainians are disappeared, sent to the front to fight and kill their own people, children are kidnapped and have their Ukrainian
heritage erased, and countless individuals are tortured in brutal conditions. Entire families are torn apart, while concentration camps and other horrific methods of repression are used to instill fear and force compliance. This is the grim reality of Russian occupation, where every inch of Ukrainian land comes at the cost of Ukrainian lives and dignity.
These demands are not just absurd—they are morally reprehensible and betray the very principles the free world claims to defend.
Amid this crisis, calls for Ukraine to negotiate with Russia—a state actively committing genocide and domestically flaunting its goal to eliminate all Ukrainians—are nothing short of absurd. These demands ignore the brutal reality of what Ukraine faces: not only military aggression but an existential threat to its people, culture, and identity. To ask Ukraine to compromise with a regime that seeks its eradication is not just misguided; it’s a dangerous endorsement of the very atrocities Russia is committing.
But these demands reveal a troubling vulnerability in the West: its institutions, media, and political class remain susceptible to Russian infiltration and influence. For nearly three years since the full-scale invasion, some Western individuals have pressured Ukraine to make territorial concessions. Yet, they remain silent on the obvious solution: demanding that Russia end its aggression by retreating across internationally recognized borders. This failure to hold Russia accountable only fuels the ongoing conflict, sending a dangerous message that territorial theft and genocide can be tolerated for the sake of political convenience.
This narrative, often driven by individuals co-opted by Moscow, launders soft propaganda into public discourse. It undermines Ukraine’s fight for sovereignty and sows confusion among audiences in the West. Worse, it serves to normalize Russia’s illegal actions, paving the way for further atrocities.
The lesson being sent to the world is that Russia should be rewarded with territory for carrying out genocide—an unconscionable message that sets a dangerous precedent.
Predictably, the drums for negotiations are growing louder as Russia’s economy falters, Russia suffers setbacks with the collapse of Assad’s regime, and the Putin regime becomes increasingly unstable. This pattern is familiar: when Ukraine is making strides and achieving victories on the battlefield, the calls for talks intensify. It’s as if the West seeks a quick resolution, but at what cost? History has shown that negotiating with terrorist states, especially one engaged in war crimes, genocide, and crimes of aggression, only emboldens further aggression and offers no guarantee of peace.
Negotiating with Russia now is not just a betrayal of Ukraine’s sovereignty—it is a direct affront to international law, and an invitation for further escalation and invasions.
The West must stand firm and demand Russia retreat to its borders, ensuring accountability for its crimes and reinforcing the principle that there will be no reward for territorial theft and mass atrocities. The only solution is the cessation of aggression, and anything less would be a catastrophic failure in protecting the values that underpin global security.
I hope Europe will have enough sense to resist calls by Trump, who has shown fealty to Putin and Russia, to negotiate. Understanding what is at stake to its own security, Europe must continue to support Ukraine with weapons, holding the line against authoritarianism, and defending democratic ideals.
Russia’s Escalating Hybrid Warfare in Europe
The absurdity of appeasement becomes even starker when viewed against Russia’s escalating hybrid warfare tactics. Beyond the largest conventional conflict in Europe since World War II, the Kremlin has intensified its campaign of terror across the continent.
From cutting undersea communication cables to acts of arson and sabotage targeting critical European infrastructure, Russia’s actions have plunged European nations into a state of perpetual unease. Assassinations, GPS jamming, cyberattacks, efforts to subvert democracy, and even the downing of civilian airliners have become hallmarks of Moscow’s modus operandi. These are not isolated incidents but a coordinated effort to destabilize Europe and project terror beyond its borders.
Despite these provocations, voices advocating for negotiations persist, ignoring the grave threat posed by appeasement and betrayal to their own countries for power or monetary gains.
The illusion that concessions could placate Moscow disregards both historical precedent and the Kremlin’s evident ambitions.
History has shown that such appeasement only emboldens aggressors, allowing them to push further, with no guarantee of peace, while furthering their destructive goals. The West must recognize that negotiation with a regime driven by imperialist motives and war crimes only enables more violence and undermines global stability.
A Call for Clarity and Accountability
This is a moment of reckoning for the West. Ukraine’s resistance is not merely a fight for its survival; it is a defense of the very principles that underpin the international order—sovereignty, democracy, rule of law, and freedom.
To pressure Ukraine into negotiating with an unrepentant aggressor is not diplomacy—it is capitulation.
The path to ending this war is clear: hold Russia accountable for its crimes, isolate its regime, provide Ukraine with unwavering support, and finally close all loopholes allowing Russia to obtain Western parts for its weapons that are being used to kill Ukrainians. The West must recognize that its true adversary is Russia. Despite attempts to appease Moscow over the past decade, Russia has not only carried out a genocidal war on Ukraine but has also declared war on Western security and democracy decades ago.
Every moment of hesitation in confronting Russia directly emboldens its aggression, putting Ukraine and the broader international order at further risk. The time to act decisively is now
before the cost of inaction becomes unbearable. Appeasement today guarantees greater aggression tomorrow, emboldening not just Moscow but autocratic regimes across the globe.
As the world enters a new year, it must also renew its resolve. Ukraine has shown unyielding courage; now it is time for the West to match that courage with action.