Stopping Putin: The Necessity of Full Support for Ukraine

 

America and the West must understand that Putin will stop only when he is made to, with a powerful response that defeats his ability to continue fighting. Hence providing Ukraine with the support and weapons it needs is not about making the war last longer; it’s about stopping Putin by using the only language he understands: strength and determination.

We hear a lot of talk these days that helping Ukraine only makes the war last longer. Some people say we need to find a diplomatic solution. But for Ukrainians, "diplomacy" often sounds like a nice way of saying they should give up and let Russia take over. The real question here is, why can’t Ukraine seek peace with Russia? But a better way to ask that might be: Why should Ukraine give up large parts of its country to a brutal regime? Why should they stay out of NATO, let Russia get away with its actions, and hope for some sort of mutual trust?

The answers are pretty clear, especially when we look at what’s happening on the ground and what’s going on in Vladimir Putin’s mind. Recently, Russia bombed a children's hospital in Kyiv, killing at least 39 people. For over a decade, Putin has used the West's fear of a European war to his advantage. The West kept Ukraine out of NATO to avoid war, which made the 2014 invasion and the full-scale war starting in 2022 possible. By not being part of NATO, Ukraine was left vulnerable, which is exactly what Russia wanted.

Since then, the West has tried to manage the situation with limited support for Ukraine, hoping not to escalate the conflict. But this approach hasn’t worked. It has only given Putin more time to prepare for a prolonged war. Restrictions on the weapons Ukraine could use meant that Russia had safe areas to plan and launch new attacks. This has led to a drawn-out war that has only benefited Putin and his elites.

For a long time, Ukraine wasn’t allowed to use Western weapons to attack Russian military targets. This meant Russia could safely prepare for more offensives. When the U.S. delayed sending aid to Ukraine, it didn’t stop the fighting. Instead, it led to Ukraine losing the city of Avdiivka in early 2024 and a big Russian offensive in Kharkiv. Thanks to the bravery and clever strategies of the Ukrainian military, the front line didn’t fall as many feared it would.

Russia used the delay in U.S. aid to triple its missile attacks on Ukraine’s power infrastructure. Now, most of Ukraine’s energy production and distribution systems are destroyed, leaving Ukrainians without electricity for most of the day. The upcoming winter looks even more terrifying.

In Washington, the same mistakes keep happening. Ukraine asks for weapons, and the response is often that providing certain arms would escalate the conflict. Months go by, the situation in Ukraine gets worse, and eventually, permission is granted, but the weapons arrive late. This cycle means Ukraine is always playing catch-up and suffering more than necessary.

When Ukrainian troops finally received HIMARS rocket launchers in the summer of 2022, they were able to disrupt Russian logistics and artillery power. This played a key role in liberating Kherson. The PATRIOT air defense system, which was initially a no-go, arrived later and helped defend against Russia’s air force. ATACMS missiles, delayed for over two years, eventually did significant damage to Russia's airfields and defense systems in Crimea. These measures did not escalate the war as feared.

Putin's threats of nuclear escalation are often strategic bluffs. As President Volodymyr Zelensky has noted, while Putin may seem crazy, he still has a strong instinct for self-preservation. The West must be brave enough to call his bluff.

Giving in to Putin is not the way to achieve peace. It would invite him to eliminate Ukraine as a nation, absorb its territory and resources, and bring Russian aggression closer to Europe’s borders. Putin will stop only when he is made to, with a powerful response that defeats his ability to continue fighting. Ukrainians managed to repel Russia’s initial blitz on Kyiv in early 2022 with just such an effort.

Commentators, politicians, and decision-makers need to face the reality of what is needed to end the Russian war in Ukraine. They must stop pretending that limited support and delayed weapons shipments will bring peace. Either they need to support Ukraine fully or admit they are helping Russia win. Providing Ukraine with the support and weapons it needs is not about making the war last longer. It’s about stopping Putin by using the only language he understands: strength and determination. By giving Ukraine the necessary military aid, the international community defends not just a sovereign nation but also the principles of international law and order. Failing to support Ukraine would signal to other authoritarian regimes that aggression is a viable strategy.

Allowing Russia to prevail would destabilize the entire region, threaten European security, and undermine global norms against territorial aggression. History teaches us that appeasement, like in the 1930s, only encourages further aggression.

The argument that military support for Ukraine prolongs the war is a dangerous misconception. The West must learn from past mistakes and adopt a strategy that confronts Putin’s aggression head-on. Only through unwavering support for Ukraine can we hope to bring about a just and lasting peace, deter future aggression, and uphold the principles of international law. The international community must stand firm against aggression and support Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty and freedom.