Ex-Ukrainian President Yushchenko Urges Trump to Stand Firm Against Russia

Key facts

• Ukraine's desire for peace is not a willingness to surrender, according to Yushchenko.
• Russia continues to attack Ukrainian cities with missiles, drones, and bombs.
• Yushchenko referenced the Budapest Memorandum, where the US and partners pledged security assurances to Ukraine.
• He drew a parallel between current events and US trade with Imperial Japan before World War II.

Former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko penned an open letter to Donald Trump, urging him to understand Ukraine's resolve against Russian aggression. Yushchenko emphasized that Ukraine's desire for peace should not be mistaken for a willingness to surrender. He described the daily reality of Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities, including residential buildings, and argued that trade in Russian energy finances the war effort.

Yushchenko invoked historical parallels, including US trade with Imperial Japan before World War II and the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, where the US and other powers provided security assurances to Ukraine in exchange for its nuclear arsenal. He stressed that Russia broke its word by invading Ukraine.

The former president asserted that the Ukrainian spirit remains unbroken and that peace cannot be achieved by asking the victim to pay for the aggressor's crimes. He concluded by stating that Ukraine will never willingly yield its land and cannot be intimidated into surrender.