August 4, 2017

Donald Trump is no friend of Ukraine

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Dear Editor:

It is with great sadness and some ire that I read some letters to this paper concerning the present situation in Ukraine. I wonder if I am living in a time warp. Do people not know we had an election for president in 2016? Do they think Barack Obama got a third term? Six months into the presidency of Donald Trump, some still assail both Mr. Obama and Hillary Clinton for their dealings. What they did, or did not do, is yesterday’s news. Rehashing it does little good.

We must not close our eyes to Ukraine’s present plight. Its future is in the hands of the current president. Let’s keep that in mind in our discussions.

What we have known and still know is that Mr. Trump admires Vladimir Putin, who is an enemy of Ukraine. Mr. Putin has stolen Crimea by armed force. He is now engaged in an armed invasion in the east. Ukrainian civilians and soldiers are being killed on a daily basis. The U.S. special envoy to Ukraine, Kurt Volker, in late July said: “This is not a frozen conflict, this is a hot war, and it’s an immediate crisis that we all need to address as quickly as possible.”

Mr. Trump offers vague promises about Ukraine. Congress is so fearful of Mr. Trump’s relationship with Mr. Putin that it has passed legislation to stop him from unilaterally lifting sanctions. The Trump administration is rife with people who have close ties with Russians.

The facts are simple: Ukraine is under continuing attack from Russia. Mr. Trump has praised Mr. Putin endlessly. He has met privately with Mr. Putin to engage in secret discussions. While dining with the leaders of 19 other countries, he went off to the side to confer with Mr. Putin.

Those secret discussions did not stop the Russian onslaught. That war could be stopped with a word from Mr. Putin or pressure from Mr. Trump. The latest reports are that Mr. Putin is more emboldened and is increasing Russia’s involvement.

How then can any Ukrainian look upon President Trump as anything other than an enemy of Ukraine? Wishful thinking, wordy statements and Republican loyalty blind many to the peril Ukraine faces under Mr. Trump. I suggest it is tragic that, while Russians are killing Ukrainian civilians, investigators and soldiers, there are any Ukrainians supporting Trump.

Falmouth, Mass.

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