Wharton Sinkler: Most valuable thing we have as nation is trust, support of our allies

To The Daily Sun,

It was awful to watch footage the meeting of our president and vice president, two-on-one, speaking their mother tongue, berating the isolated Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

I did not think Zelenskyy's behavior was all that great — talking over his interlocutors in these circumstances was probably ill-advised.

But the sight of JD Vance insisting that Zelenskyy grovel and thank them on the spot was nauseating. What about us thanking Ukraine, for their suffering, the many thousands of military and civilian deaths? For their incredible bravery and the successes they’ve had against one of the most powerful militaries in the world, that of a dangerous and murderous dictatorship?

Ukraine has done that to defend their country's freedom from tyranny, and in support of the core values of our nation, values we were founded on and have defended in two world wars. Donald Trump's threat of pulling out in a fit of pique should scare the pants off of us. His campaign of apology to Vladimir Putin is shameful. His treatment of Ukraine is analogous to Franklin Roosevelt calling Winston Churchill in early 1941 and pressuring him to seek a humiliating peace with Adolf Hitler, then on top of that insisting that he pledge half of Britain’s future coal production to the U.S., while publicly groveling in gratitude. Is that who we are as a nation? I hope not. Where are the leaders in Congress who will reject this?

The most valuable thing we have as a nation is the trust and support of our allies, who we may need to rely on someday for support in the event of a global conflict. We must not fail to stand firm here as leaders in the western alliance. We could deeply regret the fractures in that alliance which are being caused by the actions of Trump and Vance toward Ukraine.

Wharton Sinkler

Sandwich