UCCA urges Washington to support Ukraine, embrace ‘peace through strength’

The largest advocacy umbrella group in the U.S., the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America (UCCA), is calling on Washington to support Ukraine and adopt a “peace through strength” strategy to end the war with Russia. 

The organization says that a lasting peace requires more than just handshakes and signatures on an agreement.

“No one wants peace more than Ukraine, but history warns against equating concessions with resolution,” the UCCA says.

The U.S. must recognize the “hard truth” that Russia’s war is not just a territorial dispute but an effort to destroy Ukraine’s sovereignty and weaken the U.S.

“Historically, Russia’s promises of peace have inevitably led to catastrophe and further bloodshed,” the UCCA says, noting that Russia has consistently violated agreements, including those involving the U.S., including the 1994 Budapest Memorandum that saw Kyiv give up the world’s third biggest nuclear arsenal in exchange for security guarantees. 

Russia is using the missiles and planes that Ukraine transferred to it after the agreement to wage the bloodiest war against Ukraine since World War II, the UCCA said.

Before engaging in any peace talks, the U.S. must take action to use its leverage against Russia by applying military, political, and economic pressure. 

Support for Ukraine is in the national interest of the United States, the UCCA says.

“We urge all Americans concerned for a just and lasting peace to contact the White House and your elected officials to request their continued support of our ally and strategic partner, Ukraine, rather than appeasing Russia,” the statement says.