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Ukraine and Our Shameful Abdication of Leadership...a friend's letter to Oklahoma Congresscritters. [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-03-01
Published with permission.
After yesterday's debacle between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy, one European diplomat said, “I am shocked. I have never seen such a barrage of accusations at the official level against the leader of a country that has been attacked by an aggressor state.” I completely agree.
I also completely agree with the EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, who said yesterday, “Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader.”
Because: Since when is bullying our democratic allies and appeasing and trusting dictators considered good leadership? Since when is it good leadership to demand gratitude when gratitude has already been expressed a multitude of times and when we owe mutual gratitude for the heroic defense of freedom? Since when is it good leadership to demand respect and deference from other leaders while insulting them? Since when is it good leadership to expect other leaders to remain silent while telling lies about them and their countries and then berating them for defending their countries?
Perhaps one could say that Zelenskyy should have known better, should have known how Mr. Trump would have responded. But what does it say about our country that we have a leader who requires such delicate management by other world leaders who must walk on eggshells around him and shower him with praise or risk the wrath of his mercurial whims? Since when are mercurial whims considered good leadership?
What kind of leadership criticizes as disrespectful the clothes another leader chooses to wear as a show of solidarity with his war-torn people? The fact that Elon Musk can stand over Mr. Trump in the Oval Office and at Cabinet meetings wearing t-shirts, jeans, and ball caps shows that this wasn't actually about Mr. Zelenskyy's clothes or any other accusations of lack of respect made by Mr. Trump and Mr. Vance. Those accusations are just excuses for the Trump and "I don't really care what happens to Ukraine" Vance administration to do what it wants to do with Ukraine, which is to abandon it to Russia. What else explains Mr. Trump's claim that Putin, who started the war with Ukraine by invading it and is still launching daily attacks upon it which are killing civilians and who could simply end the war at any time by stopping those attacks, is the one who actually wants peace (and that Zelenskyy should be nice to him)?
So, yes, the United States, who voted against a U.N. resolution condemning Russian aggression, is no longer fit to lead the free world.
By the way, a selfish and short-sighted "America First" (or, in actuality: Wealthy Americans First) stance will leave us isolated, weak and vulnerable in the end. Why don't you promote and work toward an "America the Best" agenda instead? America, as not only the best place to live, but also the best ally and the best at leading the free world and solving the problems of the world, which, because we are so interconnected with it, are also our problems.
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