We asked 5 prominent Ukrainians to respond to Trump Jr's 'Negotiate with Russia' op-ed

Source  – The Kyiv Independent

Two influential and controversial U.S. figures stepped into the debate over Ukraine's potential long-range strikes on Russian territory by claiming such a move could result in "the end of the human species." In a joint opinion piece published on Sept. 17 by The Hill, Donald Trump Jr. and former U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. argued that lifting restrictions on long-range missile attacks would mean the NATO military alliance was "at war" with Moscow.

The Kyiv Independent asked 5 prominent Ukrainians to respond to Trump Jr's 'Negotiate with Russia' op-ed. Here is a commentary by Prof. Olexiy Haran, University of Kyiv Mohyla Academy, and research advisor at the Democratic Initiatives Foundation.

"Frankly speaking, it seems that the authors do not understand the reasons for the war and Russia's aims. They are only repeating Russian lies. Escalation from the side of the West? Come on!

"The authors pretend they do not know the facts. In 1994 Ukraine gave up its nuclear arsenal – the third largest in the world – in exchange for territorial guarantees provided by the UK, the US and …. Russia.

"In 2010, Ukraine officially declared itself to be neutral. Until 2014, Ukrainians were strongly against joining NATO.

"And, nevertheless, Russia attacked Ukraine in 2014. Putin is openly saying there is no separate Ukrainian state, Ukrainians should be part of the 'Great Russian people.'

"He is annexing Ukrainian territory. The former Russian empire is trying to come back.

"According to the U.N. Charter Ukraine, as a founding member of the U.N., has the full right to defend itself. We may criticize the Biden administration but only for being slow in providing support and weapons to the victim of aggression.

"He is annexing Ukrainian territory. The former Russian empire is trying to come back."

"The whole country is being bombarded from the bases inside Russia, Ukrainian civilians are dying every day. Can Ukraine strike back on Russian bases?

"Or Russia should be allowed to continue to destroy the whole country. Instead, the authors of the article yield to Putin’s nuclear blackmail. They say: 'No vital American interest is at stake.'

"If Russia succeeds it will be a signal to all other tyrannies in the world to start aggressions and to use nuclear blackmail. We will live in a world of the jungle."