This is Perhaps Ukraine's Most Dangerous Time

"Each of my eight trips to Ukraine since retiring from the CIA in the summer of 2023 has been filled with unique challenges. Each time I've witnessed first-hand the sacrifices the Ukrainians are making on a daily basis to fight for their country's independence. And while each trip has been physically exhausting, each one has also been highly inspiring because the Ukrainians are fighting to protect many of the traditional American values that I grew up believing in, including the right to self-determination, liberty and national sovereignty."

"But mainly because for the first time, I heard Ukrainians questioning my country's commitment to helping them defend their country. Because I heard Ukrainian interlocutors conclude that the U.S. was not a reliable partner and because Ukrainians who are fighting to protect their country, questioned whether the U.S. was willing to abandon support for their cause in order to secure potential business deals with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and his regime."

"Remembering all the Americans I had served with over the years, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice defending liberty and the honor of our country, it is extremely painful to consider the possibility that my country might choose to placate someone like Putin and, in doing so, turn its back on those who have suffered from Putin's aggression."

Multiple visits to Ukraine since 2023 observed daily Ukrainian sacrifices to defend independence and American-rooted values such as self-determination, liberty, and national sovereignty. The most recent visit was the hardest due to sharply increased Russian air attacks, a very cold winter, and major power shortages from Moscow's strikes on energy infrastructure. Ukrainians have begun to question U.S. commitment and fear support could be abandoned to secure business deals with Putin's regime. After more than a decade of conflict, widespread fatigue has set in as constant attacks on civilians leave families without reliable electricity and exposed to daily mass drone assaults.

Read at The Cipher Brief