April 21, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette; On Palm Sunday, gifted organist Olena Kohut and 34 of her neighbors in the Ukrainian city of Sumy were killed by Russian missiles as part of Russia’s ongoing brutal war against Ukraine.
Tens of thousands of Ukrainians have died defending their country. President Trump has blamed Ukraine for the start of the war and has called Ukrainian President Zelensky a dictator. Neither statement is true.
Russia seized the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in February 2014 and launched an unprovoked, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Zelensky, unlike Russian President Putin, was freely elected. Putin aimed to destroy the Ukrainian government, swiftly seize its capital Kyiv, and impose his own regime. He failed. The war is now largely a stalemate with Russia in control of about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Trump has been trying to end the war and said that he believes that Putin wants peace. The fact is that Putin is playing Trump. Putin claimed in an essay in July 2021 that Ukrainians do not exist; they are actually Russians. Like his hero Tsar Peter the Great, Putin stated that he will “retake and fortify” what he considers to be Russian territory.
Over five weeks ago, Zelensky agreed to an unconditional ceasefire if Russia would also. Putin has thus far refused and continues to attack. The only way to achieve a ceasefire is to put substantial pressure on Russia. The U.S. should join a remilitarizing Europe to enable Ukraine to defend itself. And, any proposed ceasefire will endure only if Ukraine receives solid guarantees against renewed Russian aggression.
I encourage fellow citizens to convince our elected leaders to stand with Ukraine. RICHARD BIDLACK Lexington
