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Angus King represents Maine in the U.S. Senate.
This week marks the beginning of the third year of Ukraine’s incredible exercise in self-defense against the unprovoked invasion of Russian forces — a battle that will have dramatic implications for America and our allies in the free world.
What we’re witnessing here is an important piece of a global struggle, the most consequential of the 21st century — the struggle between the idea of democracy and the rule of law versus authoritarianism and unbridled territorial aggression. Ukraine is just the first phase of this global tug of war, and the world is watching.
There is no question that every day Kim Jong Un in North Korea or Chinese President Xi Jinping are wondering if the global thread of democracy is beginning to fray. These autocrats are betting we don’t have the staying power, and that democracy is too feckless to stick to our guns, in this case literally. If we allow Ukraine to fall, we’d be rewarding naked aggression, full stop.
That’s why I voted in support of a supplemental aid bill to support our allies in Ukraine as they fight to defend themselves. We need to demonstrate to the world — and to Vladimir Putin — that the United States keeps its commitments. That aid bill passed the Senate with resounding 70-29 bipartisan support but is now stalled because the House of Representatives is declining to even bring it up for a vote.
When people ask me what the stakes are in Ukraine, I often reply to them “Google ‘Sudetenland in 1938.’” At that point, 85 years ago, the allies had a chance to stop Hitler in his barbaric quest to take over Europe and the world at a relatively low cost, but the chance was missed and, as a result, tens of millions died. The lesson we learned from the 1930s was that appeasing dictators just doesn’t work.
It’s inevitable that if we cut and run in Ukraine, that will change Xi’s calculus about Taiwan. He’s going to conclude that America doesn’t have the commitment to democratic allies that it used to have. It’s going to make it easier for him to consider a military strike because he’ll see that we walked away from a democracy defending its borders.
And then there’s Kim of North Korea. In recent weeks, he’s been making threatening noises about South Korea and a war on the peninsula. If we back away, it will be a signal to him that South Korea can’t count on the Americans sticking with them — swinging the door wide open to aggression from the north and a potential new Korean War.
America has many advantages over our rivals around the globe; but by far our greatest advantage in the world right now is allies. China has customers; America has allies. Russia has likeminded regimes like those in Iran and North Korea; America has freedom-loving allies across the world.
But if we fail to continue to deliver the arms and ammunition Ukraine desperately needs to defend itself — and remember, America is giving weapons while Ukraine gives lives — it will destroy the confidence of our allies and profoundly undermine our ability to defend our interests around the world. It’s tough to work with the international community when we don’t follow through on our investments, and once that faith in America begins to erode, it could take years or decades to rebuild.
I sometimes hear “Why should we carry all the burden? Shouldn’t the Europeans step up?” Well, the fact is that they have, big time. In terms of contributions to Ukraine in proportion to the size of the economy, we rank 15th behind a lot of our allies — because Putin’s neighbors know what’s in store for them if he isn’t stopped.
We are living through a historic moment right now, and we need to listen closely to the lessons of history. Not just from World War II and the Sudetenland, but even further back in America’s past. During the darkest days of the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln came to the Capitol to shake Congress out of its politics as usual and ended his powerful exhortation with these words: “My fellow citizens, we cannot escape history. We, of this Congress and this administration, will be remembered in spite of ourselves … The fiery trial through which we pass will light us down in honor or dishonor to the latest generation.”
Indeed, we cannot escape history, and in this moment, I deeply hope America chooses honor.
