Seventy-nine years ago, Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, a day now etched in America’s memory. This year, D-Day’s anniversary is particularly evocative as we await Ukraine’s counterattack against Russian invaders – the moral equivalent of D-Day. Although World War II had its fair share of imperfections, it was undoubtedly a fight between good and evil. Today, Ukraine is an imperfect democracy with a history of corruption and nationalism, yet it is crucial to the survival of democracy worldwide. Ukraine’s imperfections do not compare to Vladimir Putin’s malevolent regime, and failure to support the country’s counterattack against Russia could have dire consequences for democracy everywhere.
If Ukraine wins, some supporters will undoubtedly be disillusioned by the nation’s darker aspects. Ukraine had a paramilitary far-right faction involved in the war, and it ranked high in perceived corruption. However, a Ukrainian victory means that the forces of democracy win, and Putin’s Russia is weakened, which benefits the fight for democracy worldwide. Thus, the stakes in Ukraine are incredibly high, and it is essential that America provides military aid to Ukraine until it succeeds in driving out the Russian invaders. Unfortunately, U.S. public opinion on aid mirrors polls from early 1941, well before Pearl Harbor, indicating that most Americans support aid to Ukraine, but only a minority will be willing to sustain it long term.
Opponents of Western aid to Ukraine disagree on moral grounds. Some do not see the moral equivalence with World War II, and on the left, they remember how America was deceived into going to war, while others on the right, like Tucker Carlson, understand what this war is about, but are on the side of the wrongdoers. A Ukrainian victory will strengthen democracy globally, but it won’t wipe away the shadows of Ukraine’s flawed past.
A Ukrainian victory means that democracy thrives, and Putin’s regime is weakened, which benefits the fight for democracy worldwide. Military strategists are hopeful about Ukraine’s chances, but attacking fortified defenses like Russia’s is difficult. Hopefully, the success of Ukraine’s counterattack will determine the future of democracy. On the eve of D-Day, Dwight Eisenhower told the expeditionary force, “The eyes of the world are upon you.” Today, the world’s eyes are upon Ukraine’s armed forces.
