Ukraine: A Non-Negotiable Win – OpEd
Slava Heroyam! Ukraine will be glorious again! To the wounded hills of Ukraine life will return. The destroyed homes and streets will be rebuilt. Separated families and loved ones will be united. The dead will be mourned but Ukraine will celebrate freedom and peace. I attended the Munich Security Conference and these were the sentiments of many world leaders.
I have great trust in standing together as one, totally united in the face of Putin’s aggression. I have a firm conviction in the power of freedom. No power, authoritarian dictator, or militant junta can stand against the will of people determined to be free. The voice of the people and their resolve are far more powerful than any gunfire. Freedom is non-negotiable when it faces extermination.
Freedom is an opportunity for all. But despots offer solutions and opportunities that only comfort themselves. They claim they bring justice. But their justice is selective. It is their justice. They dictate their chosen way of life to others. In truth, they worry more about the regime’s and, ultimately, their own survival and longevity. Dictators are desperate; servicing their corrupted web of crooks and pleasing the crony vultures that fly around them.
I know Putin does not tolerate freedom. I have sat with him on many occasions. He despises differences and competition. He fears and is afraid of a free Ukraine. As a deep narcissist, he cannot afford to see more successful and prosperous neighbors. He envisioned that a free, civil Ukraine represents a grave danger to his regime. The Russian aggression against Ukraine did not happen out of the blue. It is the pinnacle of long-fought rivalries between the ideas of freedom and the fist of suppression.
The frontline of this war runs much broader, longer, and more profound. Many ask why most Asian countries tend to have a neutral position compared to Europe. The answer is simple: Many believe all they can do is watch with a heavy heart. They closely follow breaking news to learn who has the upper hand at that moment. Sadly, the continent of Asia is also full of self-proclaimed rulers and the people have no, or a muted, voice in their governance.
Ukrainians are fighting not only for their country, but they are also fighting for our right to exist and be free. Their fight is global. As a result, our support should be global and completely unconditional. A Ukrainian victory will bring unprecedented encouragement to all freedom-loving people. Autocrats everywhere will be knocked down and devastated. If Russia prevails, dictators will march in full swing.
The resolution of the war in Ukraine must not come at the expense of Ukraine. We all must contribute as we can. The fiery frontline of this war runs throughout Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East. This war is raging between the better part and the worst part of humanity. Between the free world and the suppressed. This war is an all-encompassing war between autocracy and democracy.
The Kremlin propaganda machine is in full steam, blaming the other side as the one committed to eliminating Russians. Ukrainians and Russians lived in peace—many are related—until Putin unleashed his war machine. No one is depriving Russia but the Kremlin. No one is depleting their resources and potential but the Kremlin. No one is crippling the Russian armed forces but the Kremlin. No one is pushing to enlarge the NATO block but the Kremlin. No one started a full-out invasion of Ukraine but the Kremlin. No one forced the free world to take drastic actions but the Kremlin.
The evils of this war have no match in post-World War II history. The Kremlin’s criminal behavior has no limit. Russian leaders have no shame in bringing devastation and suffering to the most vulnerable–the innocent children, elders, and families. This horror is not solely present in war-torn territories. It is also present in Russia itself.
Putin’s so-called “partial” mobilization brought fear and tears to the most vulnerable; the ethnic minorities who live in Russia and disproportionately drafted and thrown to the frontline. The Buryats, Kalmycks, Tuvans, and other marginalized minorities have been used as cannon fodder. In those remote regions where ethnic minorities live, they have almost run out of military-age men. By local accounts, the Kremlin is committing textbook case of ethnic cleansing under the umbrella of a “special military operation.”
Under Putin’s long, dark shadow, Russia has been frozen to the core. Yet, even in this deep freeze, there are some palpable cracks. The war in Ukraine is no longer just one man’s conflict. It is inflicting pain to the countless lives his dark shadow touches. Everyone’s heart breaks when innocent families dig graves for their loved ones.
The outspoken and brightest in Russia are mostly silenced. In any nation, free-minded people are fundamental to offering differences and better solutions. But, unfortunately, this very part of society in Russia has catastrophically shrunk. The remaining brave people in Russia are still fighting against corruption and this war while facing torture and jail if arrested. The world is not against the Russian people but against the Kremlin’s kleptocracy and atrocities.
For many, it is no surprise that the regime in the Kremlin has long since relied on brainwashing and the use of criminal recruits in the military and Putin’s mercenary army—the Wagner Group. The more ruthless and vicious they are against Ukrainians they are, the more they are rewarded. Their mission is to kill or be killed. Indeed, there are special Russian units tasked with executing anyone who retreats or refuses to fight.
Ukrainian soldiers who are fighting at the frontline describe Wagner mercenaries as “zombies” who attack in human waves. The Russian supply of such human waves seems unlimited. To fight and defeat these horrendous Kremlin tactics, Ukraine desperately needs advanced weaponry—F-16s, long-range missiles, modern battle tanks, and more ammunition to name a few. Let’s get them there! The West should not be cowed or intimidated by Putin’s threats of escalation. He only understands force.
The U.S. has designated Wagner an international criminal organization–essentially a terrorist group. They must be pursued, sanctioned, and crippled to ensure they are not a threat to anyone and more countries need to join this effort.
There are some in Russia disappointed with other countries, including Mongolia’s stance on the war against Ukraine. Due to its geography, under a tight squeeze between Russia and China, the Government of Mongolia is forced to perform a balancing act. However, the public opinion in Mongolia resolutely hates the brutal attack against this sovereign nation.
In this regard, I would like to address the historical record: When Adolf Hitler attacked the Soviet Union, the people of Mongolia united against this fascist invader. They showed solidarity with the Soviet people and spared nothing. Just one example, if nomadic herders had over 100 horses, they sent more than half of their livestock to the Soviet Union. A quarter of all the horses on the frontline during World War II came from Mongolia.
In the days following the war’s end, it was not rare to see a skinny but sturdy Mongol horse standing together with victorious allied forces in the ruins of Berlin. Horses were logistical lifelines, moving heavy equipment and weaponry through mud and rough terrain, including mined ones. In challenging circumstances, Mongolian horses were the only means of transport, and sometimes a much-needed source of nourishment. The number of horses supplies from Mongolian herders to the Soviets reached more than half a million.
In late 1941, the Soviets began a counter-offensive against German forces on the outskirts of Moscow. During those brutally harsh winter months, most of the Red Army soldiers and officers wore warm winter uniforms made from Mongolian cattle stocks. In addition, with donations from Mongolia, the Soviets produced tanks and fleets of fighter aircraft. The Government of Mongolia donated its gold and hard currency reserves to the Soviet Union for four years in a row. Mongolian lamb and meat donations to the Soviet front line surpassed those supplied by the U.S.
When Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union, Mongols stood with their Northern neighbor as best as we could. When Putin’s Russia attacked Ukraine, from day one, the people of Mongolia stood against the brutal invasion. My point here is, to the international community, do what the Mongols did. No sovereign state has the right to attack another unless there are dire circumstances which certainly did not exist in Ukraine. Don’t stand by; offer support.
The West is always one step behind Putin. President Zelensky, from the first days of the war, asked “not for a ride” but for “more weapons.” It’s time to get ahead of him and bring this evil war to an end.
Ukrainians are paying the ultimate price for our freedom. They are suffering, shedding blood, and sacrificing everything precious to them. They are fighting against the worst of humanity to save the best of humanity. Make no mistake, Putin has no intention of stopping at Ukraine.
President Biden and Chancellor Scholz might have time to wait. But a wounded Ukraine has no time to wait at all. Those who snatched Ukrainian territories, cities, and villages are not waiting. The killers, rapists, and looters are not wasting their time; they are pursuing relentlessly with their deadly mission. Putin is not waiting. Wagner mercenaries are not waiting. Why should freedom-loving people wait? We need to push back—and harder!
No one in this day of age should ever attempt what Putin is doing in Ukraine. The world shrugged their collective shoulders when he occupied a big part of Georgia in 2008. This emboldened him to grab Crimea in 2014. He sensed weakness and no resolve and decide to invade Ukraine. Ukraine’s victory is non-negotiable—it must WIN.
As one family, as humanity, we all must support Ukraine because she is paying the ultimate price for freedom. Not only until it is totally liberated, but also until it is rebuilt and recovers from Putin’s war. We need to be in this for the long haul. It won’t be easy, but doing so can deter conflict in other areas around the world (China’s Xi is watching closely as he eyes Taiwan). We must stand together and confront this evil together until Ukraine’s borders are restored and the country can rebuild.
Elbegdorj Tsakhia is currently the Bernard and Susan Liautaud Visiting Fellow at Stanford University. He is the former Prime Minister and President of Mongolia.