Kyiv, Ukraine. (source: AP/SITA)
Ukraine, a country under attack by Russia since 2014, has now withstood half a year of massive bombings, sieges of cities, and atrocities against its people. Ukraine is fighting to defend not only its democracy, but its very survival as an independent country.
August 24 marks the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. Sadly, the day also marks six months since the Russian government’s unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This anniversary falls just three days after August 21, when Slovakia commemorates the Soviet unprovoked occupation of Czechoslovakia following the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion that dashed Czechoslovakia’s hopes and dreams of freedom. I believe that that experience and the atrocities that followed the Soviet invasion are among the reasons the people of Slovakia have such a clear understanding of what Russian aggression brings and why we must remain united in our support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and democracy.
The worldwide reaction to Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine has been so visceral and moved so many because, in the conduct of this war, we have seen evidence—on a nearly daily basis—of violence, destruction, devastation, and death.
Reports that Russian officials are overseeing so-called “filtration” operations, combined with evidence that its forces have interrogated, detained, displaced, or forcibly deported millions of Ukrainian citizens, including children, have appropriately been met with outrage.
We have all seen the images of the aftermath of Russian bombs hitting civilians sheltering in schools, theatres, and hospitals. Independent media and humanitarian organisations have documented executions in cities like Bucha and Irpin, torture of uniformed and civilian personnel alike, and entire cities like Mariupol cut off from basic necessities while enduring devastation and brutal occupation.
The United States is supporting a range of international investigations into atrocities in Ukraine. This includes those conducted by the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Slovakia joined these efforts with 25 police officers and four prosecutors to contribute their expertise to investigations. The United States stands ready to support national courts around the world that have jurisdiction over individuals accused of committing international crimes. We also will continue to work with the international community to help Ukraine rebuild.
The United States has also committed nearly $10 billion in security assistance since Russia launched its premeditated, unprovoked, and brutal war against Ukraine on February 24. This includes artillery systems and ammunition, armoured vehicles, and advanced air defence systems for Ukraine. We stand side-by-side with Slovakia as NATO Allies to support neighbouring Ukraine. To date, Slovakia has approved €190 million in security and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, ranking among the top donors worldwide. As a result, Ukraine has become more resilient and more than 2.6 million displaced persons have returned to Ukraine – more than a third of those who initially fled.
Despite the enormous cost Vladimir Putin has inflicted on Ukraine and the world, sanctions by the United States and our partners and allies are designed to compel the Kremlin to cease its violence and are taking a toll on Russia’s economy, which has required unprecedented (and unsustainable) Kremlin intervention to prevent significant damage.
Economists predict that, in the longer term, as sanctions are expanded and tightened, the Russian government will run out of stalling tactics and the true costs of its actions will become painfully real for the Russian people.
Coordinated sanctions have frozen more than half of the Russian Central Bank’s reserves, money the Kremlin would otherwise use to finance its war machine. The lack of access to imported inputs and finished goods, particularly goods embedded with sophisticated technologies, has created bottlenecks and, over time, will further impair production, transport, and commerce, and importantly, the production and maintenance of military hardware.
As sanctions continue to degrade Putin’s warfighting capabilities, Ukrainian forces are successfully defending their country and the Ukrainian people are more united than ever.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February, more than 50 countries have joined the United States to deliver security assistance to Ukraine. Together with partners and allies like Slovakia, we are expediting shipments of even more of the weapons Ukraine is using so effectively to defend itself.
From Main Street to the Maidan, Capitol Hill to the EU Concilium, broad support for Ukraine has demonstrated that unprovoked attacks on sovereign, independent states will not go unanswered and will come at a very high price. The United States and its allies and partners around the world are more united than ever.
We will continue to stand with Ukraine and support its fight for survival while also working to bolster European security and democratic values. We stand with Ukraine because borders and food supplies are not bargaining chips. We stand with Ukraine because human rights are incontrovertible. We stand with Ukraine because it is the right thing to do.
Nicholas Namba is the Charge d’Affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Slovakia.
Author: Nicholas Namba
