Lessons from Georgia, Moldova go unlearned

Right now, there’s a massive push underway to steer Ukraine from a European path back to a Russian one. Dozens, even hundreds, of pro-Russian voices are actively spreading narratives about "bad" allies.

Yes, there is some justification for criticizing our allies. Every day, our friends, family, and neighbors are dying. We’d love to see a Patriot system in every small town and unlimited missiles, so at least the children are safe. It’s a powerful emotional trigger, and I understand when people vent their frustration on allies for not closing the skies over Ukraine. But I don’t support that view.

Why don’t I support publicly criticizing our allies? Because I'm grateful for the support we’ve received, despite us having, to put it mildly, "screwed up" our own war preparations and military arming.

I don’t want to be that ungrateful person that makes the British Defense Secretary remind us they're not Amazon, and that maybe we should show a little gratitude for the weapons we've already been given before demanding more.

According to Ukraine's Ministry of Economic Development, military and economic aid from our allies totaled $177 billion for 2022-2023, with another $100 billion expected in 2024. That’s a whopping $277 billion.

To put it in perspective, that’s almost six times Ukraine’s 2021 budget.

Think about it: in the last three years, our allies effectively tripled Ukraine’s budget. For every one budget we earned, our allies added the equivalent of almost two more on top every year.

Bad allies? I can’t agree with that statement. Not based on emotion, but on the hard facts in front of me. The contributions from our allies to our defense are enormous.

And it’s maddening to watch allies being publicly slandered, often at the hands of Russian agents and "useful" idiots.

I can even understand politicians who keep undermining those who support us. Politicians have their own agendas. They don’t care about Ukraine’s borders; only their personal power matters. They’d be fine with just Kyiv region left in Ukraine, as long as it’s enough to sustain them and their cronies. So, they loudly bash allies to blame them for their own failures on the front and to score electoral points, even at the cost of alienating those allies.

But I don’t get the ordinary folks I see on social media who can’t put two and two together and realize that bashing allies brings Ukraine closer to the situations in Georgia and Moldova. Because if America is "bad," then who’s "good"? Right — Russia! And bit by bit, this sentiment grows. The number of people voting for a European path shrinks, while the desire to return to Russia’s "safe harbor" rises. Unfortunately, the spread of pro-Russian sentiment is not just possible, but inevitable.

Think carefully before posting about how "weak" the West is or how "powerful" Putin is. About "bad allies" who don’t love us enough. Every post like that is a step away from Europe and a step closer to Putin.

When the war ends and we’re left with the same struggles as Georgia and Moldova — God forbid — and are back on the edge, like during the Maidan in 2014, remember those who poisoned the people with tales about "bad Americans" and nudged Ukraine toward the "Russian world." Every action has consequences. Think about them now!

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About the author: Serhii Marchenko, labor market expert, blogger.

The editors do not always share the opinions expressed by the blog authors.