US must arm Ukraine to fight growing axis of authoritarianism

“If we don’t have U.S. support… it means we’re going to step back, step by step, step by step.” This comes as the U.S. Congress continues to delay approval of a $60 billion military aid package. These were harsh words from President Volodymyr Zelensky. Such hesitation is detrimental to Ukraine’s military efforts.

“If we do not take steps to prepare for a new counterattack, Russia will strike back,” Zelenskiy said. He was proven right recently when a Russian airstrike destroyed Kiev’s largest power plant. Russia’s success or failure in this war will have serious implications not only for Ukraine but for the world. Wars are changing geopolitics and creating new authoritarian axes of power.

Russia surrounds itself with a collection of states that is perhaps better called a regime. Iran provided drones to Russia. China is helping Russia evade sanctions and import technology essential to the war effort. North Korea has sent more than 1 million shells to Russia. Syria votes in support of Russia at UN General Assembly. These countries share important characteristics. This means that all countries have similar ideas about human rights.

Dictatorships are designed to deny rights and freedoms. The existence of free states where human rights are protected and upheld poses a threat that strikes at the very heart of such authoritarian states. Russia’s authoritarian axis agrees that this is unacceptable.

Around the world, people are increasingly losing their freedom. World freedom decreased for the 18th consecutive year in 2023. According to Freedom House’s latest report, the scope and scale of the deterioration was widespread, affecting one-fifth of the world’s population. This means that individuals who have the right to vote freely, say what they think, love those who follow their hearts, and choose which God to pray to are in the minority.

Even in developed democracies, political forces that question the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are gaining momentum. Those who have the privilege of living in places where democracy and human rights are well-established may be beginning to take them for granted. They have become consumers of values. Perhaps without fully understanding its implications, they try to trade freedom for economic gain, the promise of security, or personal comfort.

However, it is also true that freedom is a very fragile thing. The complex task of ensuring that the freedom once achieved continues.

This is something that Ukraine clearly understands today. Nevertheless, President Zelenskiy is under pressure from many parties, especially the Pope, to negotiate peace. The vehemence of his reaction to his suggestion that Ukraine should have the “courage to raise the white flag” is due to the fact that he knows it will have dire consequences for the Ukrainian people. Russian President Vladimir Putin has no intention of negotiating. he’s going to win. Ukraine and her allies must act on this.

When we talk about Russia’s war with Ukraine, we are not just talking about a war between two countries. This is a war between her two regimes: authoritarianism and democracy. It is a mistake to think that war begins only when bombs start falling. War has many aspects beyond the military. It has economic, digital, information and cultural aspects. Putin will use whatever he can to achieve his goals, whether it’s brutal executions of his enemies or the more subtle deployment of portraying himself as the defender of the Orthodox Church. Whether Western politicians realize it or not, as long as Ukraine holds the line, its country is safe.

Russia is showing the world that a state with a powerful military and nuclear weapons can destroy the world order, dictate the rules to the entire international community, and even forcibly change internationally recognized borders. I want to prove it. If Russia succeeds, it will encourage other authoritarian leaders around the world to take similar action.

The United States and its allies must provide Ukraine with everything it needs to repel Russian aggression. If we hesitate for too long, Russia will take further steps and advanced democracies may have to pay the price with the lives of their own citizens. As President Zelenskiy said, “If Ukraine collapses, Putin will divide the world.” Now is the time to prevent this. You can’t hesitate. we must act together.

Oleksandra Matvichuk is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning Ukrainian human rights lawyer and civil society leader based in Kyiv. She heads the nonprofit Center for Civil Liberties and is a campaigner for democratic reform in her home country and her OSCE region.

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own.