The brutal invasion of Ukraine by Russia was possible only because of a decades-long history of ill-conceived foreign policy priorities in the West. Ever since George F. Kennan’s post-WWII containment policy became gospel in most Western capitals, the world’s bad actors have been able to exploit the West’s reluctance to confront them forcefully out of its exaggerated fear of provoking or escalating conflicts. The goal of containment and détente was to maintain the status quo of a world divided between two rival superpowers—and not to defeat evil.

World War II came to a successful end for the Western Allies insofar as the Axis powers surrendered unconditionally, and were made to demilitarize and undergo major democratic reforms. But while the fascist beasts in Germany and Japan were tamed, Stalin used his alliance with the West to greatly expand the Communist world.

Starting with Korea, the West too often accommodated ruthless Communist regimes in the name of avoiding conflict and preserving peace. These concessions never led to good outcomes, and all those condemned to live under Communism would continue to suffer, often for many decades, while the dictators never ceased trying to expand their power, territory and wealth at the cost of others’ liberty.

It took Ronald Reagan’s policy of “We win. They Lose” to bring about the collapse of the Soviet Empire and to free its subject peoples from totalitarian oppression. Reagan recognized that the conflict with Communism was one of good versus evil, and that it was a fatal error to believe in a moral equivalency between the two superpowers as the basis for policy.

Ex-KGB officer Vladimir Putin, a relic of the USSR, has turned Russia from a Communist state into a fascist state which has steadily become more and more like its Soviet predecessor. He has been encouraged in his current aggression against Ukraine by the feeble Western response to his earlier attacks against neighboring Georgia, Crimea and the Donbas. This weakness apparently persuaded him to believe that he could get away with conquering the whole of Ukraine.

But, fortunately, the full invasion Russia launched on February 24, 2022 shocked the world and finally provoked the West into taking meaningful action to stop Russian expansionism and help Ukraine defend itself.

The lesson is clear: the West can no longer seek to compromise with evil regimes, whether Communist or fascist. If not thoroughly defeated, they will continue to threaten the peaceful world order. Evil cannot be appeased and it is foolhardy to keep trying.

NATO has played a vital role in helping Ukraine stave off the massive Russian attack. Now it must make sure that Ukraine has the weapons it needs to defeat Russia decisively and drive Moscow’s army from all its territory.

Russian propaganda—with its trumped-up accusations against Ukraine and threats of a nuclear response to escalation—should not prevent NATO members from taking righteous action to make sure that Ukraine wins as soon as possible.

A decisive victory for Ukraine will put other tyrannies (Communist China, North Korea, Cuba, Iran…) on notice that the civilized world will no longer tolerate their aggression. And it will offer hope of freedom to the millions who still languish under the oppression of totalitarian dictatorships.
Ukraine can win and it must win.