Spinning, spinning, spinning
Chrystia’s oped for the Financial Times is an interesting read- Via Archive.ph
The writer is Canada’s special representative for the reconstruction of Ukraine
It is time to change how we think about Ukraine. Forget about saving Ukraine; the fact is that we need Ukraine to save us. Since Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24 2022, we have cast Ukraine in the role of righteous victim — noble, blameless and inevitably overpowered. We have believed it was right, and we have assumed it would lose, at least without extraordinary effort from us.
This framing flattered Ukraine’s western allies: it put us at the centre of the story. And, at least at the start of the war, it offered a morality tale that roused and inspired democracies that had been exhausted and demoralised by the pandemic. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has always been right: this is a conflict between light and darkness.
But while Ukraine is indeed the righteous victim of an evil war, framing the fight in this way has obscured something equally important. Ukraine is more than a victim. The country is fighting back with remarkable tenacity, ingenuity and effectiveness. US President Donald Trump got it right at the UN last week: Ukraine is a winner, and Ukraine can win.
This matters because a strong Ukraine is a valuable ally. Vladimir Putin’s recent incursions into central and even western Europe show Nato needs Ukraine as a shield against Russia. Europe is, rightly, focused on re-arming, but there is already one army in Europe that has shown, standing alone, that it can hold its own against the Kremlin — the armed forces of Ukraine.
excluding some content, that you can read at the link
Ukraine is Europe’s innovation nation — building, deploying and reinventing drones and missiles with a bottom-up, decentralised approach to war and innovation that looks a lot more like Silicon Valley than the Pentagon.
The future of war is being invented there, and Kyiv can help us to bring that future to our own militaries and to our defence industries. For example, low-cost drones, often guided by AI, are now responsible for more casualties than artillery (think about Israel’s use of drones and AI) — and inventing, flying and buying them is highly decentralised.
Skipping down to the last paragraph
It is time to stop thinking of Ukraine as a victim, and to recognise that it can be a victor. As Trump has recognised, Ukraine is strong enough to win. As Merz has acknowledged, a strong, successful Ukraine is in Europe’s interest. By helping Ukrainians to build a prosperous, sovereign and secure country for the long term, we will be investing in our own security, and our own prosperity.
Freeland is great at spin. She goes for the glorious. And why wouldn’t she? “Slava Ukraini!” It’s in her blood. Her DNA.
The phrase “Slava Ukraini” has roots in Ukrainian nationalism and was notably used by the radical Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists (OUN), particularly its Bandera faction, which has a complex and controversial history of collaboration with the Nazis.
EU rules out seizing Russian assets, proposes reparations-based loan for Ukraine
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reaffirmed that there is no seizure of frozen Russian assets and that Ukraine would repay the loan if Moscow pays reparations, during a joint news conference with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte.
“There is no seizing of the assets. Ukraine has to repay the loan if Russia is paying reparations,” von der Leyen said on Tuesday during a joint news briefing with Rutte ahead of a discussion on defence and security issues with the College of European Commissioners.
She noted that she put forward the idea of a reparations loan that is based on the immobilised Russian assets as a “structural solution” for military support to Ukraine.
“The loan would not be disbursed in one go, but in tranches and with conditions attached,” she added.
Von der Leyen further stressed if they believe that Ukraine is their “first line of defence,” they have to step up the military assistance to Ukraine.
Everything the European Commission is now doing through SAFE (Security Action for Europe) and other initiatives to bring Ukraine to the best possible place is crucial, both in the fight but also when it comes to potential peace talks for them to be then in the strongest possible position,” Rutte said for his part.
Thoughts?
2 replies on “Chyrstia Freeland- We need Ukraine as much as Ukraine needs us”
Hi Penny:
If she is considered a leader in Canada, you can see why I don’t bother to vote in Canada. Canada is a country that follows the golden rule which is those with the gold rule. We have the best leadership that money can buy. Do Canadians really think their vote is more important than the money that funds politicians?
Hi Gary,
” Do Canadians really think their vote is more important than the money that funds politicians?”
There are some voters that think that way, I’m sure. I’m not one of them.