The enemy will take advantage from a divided society

1. Why did Russian aggression occur in Ukraine in 2014? It was made possible because the ruling group, influenced by Russian agents, fostered division within Ukrainian society, attempting to impose the will of a foreign state and deepening the rift, thereby weakening the country.
2. Why did the events of February 24, 2022 happen? They became possible, in part, due to internal discord in Ukraine caused by the 2019 presidential elections and societal division. The Kremlin used this, and if it weren't for the COVID-19 pandemic, February 24 would have occurred much earlier.
3. Why did the Hamas attack on Israel take place on October 7, 2023? It wasn't a result of Muslims marking the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War but rather due to events on January 4, 2023, when a deeply corrupt prime minister attempted judicial reform that split Israeli society, with the division extending into state institutions. This created a unique window of opportunity for Arabs and Iranians to target Israel.
4. Why did the United States face a humiliating situation in Afghanistan with the chaotic evacuation from Kabul airport on August 15, 2021? This occurred because of events like the murder of George Floyd by a police officer on May 25, 2020, the contentious 2020 presidential election, and the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters on January 6, 2021. Collectively, these events indicated a significant political and societal divide in America, weakening the country and emboldening its adversaries. The Taliban, Russia, Iran, Hamas, Hezbollah, and North Korea saw an opportunity and seized it.

“When society is divided, enemies will take advantage of it. This is especially true when dealing with a country like Russia, which has a history of working to divide and destroy Ukraine. Since February 24, 2022, the Russian aggression against Ukraine has been stopped by our Armed Forces, and their initial plan to quickly conquer us has failed. When Russia couldn't defeat Ukraine in direct warfare, they resorted to influencing and manipulating certain groups within our society, causing divisions and weakening the connection between our military and the civilian population.”

Our current government, which has survived due to the actions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the strong support from the public and resistance against the occupiers, should learn from its mistakes and consider others’ mistakes, too (see above). We shouldn't try to tell our military leaders how to do their job or act like we know better than the battle-hardened generals. We also shouldn't further divide our society or radicalize our military, especially since the political leadership has failed to provide everything our Armed Forces need and has lost the trust of our allies.

“Our security doesn't rely on possible negotiations with the enemy or sweet promises from hybrid friends. The true guarantee of Ukraine's existence as a nation lies in the strength of our Armed Forces and, more broadly, the Defense Forces of Ukraine.”

We must maintain the unity between our military and the civilian population while transforming our country into a powerful military force that can deter potential aggressors. As Metropolitan Andriy Sheptytskyi once wrote, "The key to transforming Ukraine lies within ourselves. We might not be able to change external circumstances easily, but we can change ourselves through our determination."

Source

About the author. Mykhailo Honchar, expert on international energy and security relations

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