Reject Bullying – Support Ukraine

Friday's summit between wannabe dictator Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin offered renewed legitimacy to Putin, who has largely been an international pariah since he ordered the military invasion of Ukraine nearly 30 months ago.

On Saturday, Trump repeated Putin’s message, increasing pressure on Ukrainian President Zelensky to cede territory to Russia. Trump’s willingness to sideline Ukraine during negotiations reminds us of the Disability Justice slogan, “Nothing About Us Without Us.”

Fortunately, European leaders are standing with Ukraine, planning to crash today’s White House meeting to prevent Trump from bullying Zelensky.

Of course, we want to see an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine (along with the much greater violence against civilians underway in Gaza). But Russia’s military aggression should not be rewarded, despite the fact that NATO’s eastward expansion beginning in the 1990s is a factor which has led to the violence.

Like many issues in our world, we need to recognize complexity and act accordingly. The long history of US imperialism is not unique. Rather it built on centuries of European colonialism and conquest. Putin clearly seeks to rebuild a “greater Russia,” seeking to restore previous Russian glory times at the expense of the rights of Ukrainians to determine their own future.

Andy Mager
for SCW

https://syracuseculturalworkers.com/collections/ukraine