Ukraine has been in the front row seat of this war since restoration of its independence from Russia in 1991. Through assaults via cyber warfare on our military, banks and infrastructure; unrelenting fake news via social media that divides us a nation; blatant disregard for international law and Ukraine’s territorial integrity through the illegal taking of Crimea, the invasion of the Donbass and now the official recognition of Donetsk and Luhansk as independent states; as well as the psychological bullying from a growing military threat on our borders, this war has been constant and unrelenting. What could happen next in Ukraine is not a new war but the escalation of the war that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been solely responsible for. Ukraine has become the proxy fight between the East and West in Putin’s maniacal and egotistical attempt at setting a new world order in which Russia is the conductor. Let’s make no mistake—this war has been and will continue to be a war of global consequences.
As we all sit in our homes and watch conflicts around the world on TV, we don’t usually think of why we should care—not because we condone war but because we fail to see how such conflicts impact our daily lives as we focus on providing the basic needs to our families.
I must be honest: In the past, I treated news of this kind in a similar way. But the war between Ukraine and Russia, especially as it escalates, is not only playing out on our TVs. It will soon impact the daily lives of every citizen around the globe. A war will disrupt supply chains, the global economy, stock markets, COVID-19 recovery and travel. But even more than that it will set a tone and precedent to how the world acts.
If you allow a bully to control the sandbox, then he will only look to grow his sandbox. If you allow an authoritarian leader who thrives on creating global conflict to go unchecked, he will simply become unquenched in his search for land far greater than that of Ukraine. This is why the world should care.
Putin has never honored any international agreement. Putin has never respected democracy and the rule of law. Putin has never respected human dignity or rights. Putin’s goal is simple—to restore the former Soviet Union at whatever cost and his “no limits” relationship with China should be a wakeup call to the world. A relationship of two authoritarian regimes controlled by two men whose only interest is their personal legacy and not that of their citizens—two people who condone genocide, imperialism, world instability and military and economic blackmail. If Putin goes unchecked then there is little doubt that other bad actors in the world, including China and Iran, will test the limits of the league of democratic nations. This isn’t a war solely about NATO or European Union integration—it is a war about the evil of authoritarianism and the possibility of a new world order—not of good, but evil.
Faced with these realities, what can and should be done to bring an end to this daily assault on Ukraine’s sovereignty and democracy and to ensure the stability of the world?
First, we must rid the world of authoritarianism. Our fight is not a fight against Russia and the Russian people but a fight against two evils—Putin and an authoritarian system of government that keeps the Russian people in economic and social bondage.
Second, we must be strong. Strong economically. Strong militarily and most importantly, strong through togetherness.
Through a strong economy Ukraine will be able to stand on our own two feet without international loans and the possible economic blackmail from countries like China and Russia. When all Ukrainians have a quality of life from a strong economy, we will be strong against any force, domestic or foreign. This is our first line of defense.
Through a strong military we can stop physical aggression from external forces. Ukraine must invest in the best military equipment, the best cyber security, the best intelligence and most importantly in the troops and families who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for our country. We owe a lot to our allies for helping build a strong military, which is our second line of defense.
And our ultimate line of defense is through strong togetherness, where we are inclusive and not divided—where those in government put the people ahead of their own self-interests. Where government officials talk about inclusion and not division. Where they show our adversaries that no matter our political, social and economic differences we can come together in times of crisis and show that Ukraine’s territorial integrity is absolute and not negotiable.
This togetherness is not just about Ukraine, it is about the world, for the Bible tells us that a house divided will fall and history has many examples of that. Let’s not let Putin use any global division to make Ukraine the next example of the ultimate fall of democracy to authoritarianism. Only together can Ukraine and the league of democratic nations bring an end not only to war in Ukraine, but an end to Putin’s authoritarianism to the world.
Volodymyr Groysman was prime minister of Ukraine from 2016-19.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.
