On the eve of the thirty-fifth anniversary of Ukraine’s independence, a whole group of leading American politicians visited Kyiv, among them former U.S. presidential representative on Ukraine General Keith Kellogg, Senators James Lankford and Richard Blumenthal, former Vice President of the United States Mike Pence, former congressmen, and religious leaders.
An expert on current American politics might say that primarily wedding generals gathered in the Ukrainian capital. Most of them do not have real influence in Donald Trump’s Republican Party. Keith Kellogg himself has already explained how his role turned out to be more of a conference attribute than a real tool of influence on Donald Trump and other administration members.
However, the very fact of the conservative politicians’ visit to Kyiv serves as a reminder of the model of bipartisan support, which remains an important part of the assistance to Ukraine from the United States. Lately, such bipartisan support is generally not characteristic of American politics. And this applies, by the way, not only to Ukraine. We see how most Democrats support our country and seek Republican votes. And we see how most Republicans support Israel, while the Democratic Party’s position begins to significantly differ on Middle Eastern issues. But this should be an additional incentive for dialogue with those among whom Ukraine does not have a majority.
We are used to measuring modern conservative America with one measure—what Trump said. What Trump wrote. Who Trump appointed. This is convenient, it fits into the news cycle, and it’s not the whole truth.
Conservative support for Ukraine is older than Trump and will outlive Trump. It does not depend on a specific individual in the Oval Office but on values and people. Prayer breakfasts, evangelical networks, coalitions in Congress that have been forming for decades. They don’t make headlines precisely because they operate continually, not episodically. And by the way, the diligent work of the Ukrainian diaspora with Republican congressmen both on the national and regional level is not well-known in Ukraine. Unfortunately!
American politics can change—and change seriously, as Donald Trump’s presidency vividly demonstrated. But this does not mean that the reduction of support for Ukraine today cannot turn into increased assistance tomorrow. However, this cannot happen without continuous and persistent dialogue.
The Kremlin uses money and promises instead of dialogue. Putin doesn’t need friends in the United States—he needs people interested in Russian money, in quick profits, in all those castles in the air that Russian officials build for their American interlocutors.
Ukraine does not have such resource opportunities. And when the idea of joint business appears, it quickly turns into a real political scandal. It is worth remembering that Donald Trump’s first impeachment was directly related to the Ukrainian theme, to the conversation between the American president and his Ukrainian counterpart. The biggest public scandal in White House history also concerns an agreement on Ukrainian resources. So with Ukraine, it doesn’t work that way. We need friends, we need the understanding of shared values. We need the understanding that without security in Europe, the United States will still face a real danger associated with the weakening of U.S. influence in Europe creating a temptation for encroaching on American national interests anywhere.
That is why the visit of American conservative politicians to Kyiv is not just participation in a celebration but the continuation of a political tradition that cannot be abandoned. This is what I constantly call for—when it comes to relations with the United States and when it comes to Ukraine’s relations with European countries. Persuading friends is not difficult. Try to persuade those who do not support us. And start this dialogue with representatives of their own political camp who hold pro-Ukrainian positions and have authority in a challenging environment for Ukraine. This is not an easy task, and it does not promise quick successes and applause. But, ultimately, this is what is called bipartisan support.
On the cover: The “35 Years of Faith and Freedom” International Forum gathered American conservative political leaders and heads of worldwide Christian alliances and missions in Kyiv, including the 48th Vice President of the United States Mike Pence, General Keith Kellogg, Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, and U.S. congressmen. Photo: “35 Years of Faith and Freedom” International Forum
