Ukraine Speeds Toward Self-Reliance While Allies Stand Still

Wes O'Donnell
6 min readFeb 28, 2024

As we blow past the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine stands at a pivotal juncture.

They are now on their own.

And I’m furious.

Many people in my mostly conservative network have turned against Ukraine — veterans that I served with are posting memes like this:

Screenshot from the author’s social media feed

Or this:

Screenshot from the author’s social media feed

I know they’re just memes, but it speaks to a larger issue among conservatives in my country. Somehow, in their minds, the Ukraine war became a cause championed exclusively by the left and President Biden. So, opposing the left means opposing Ukraine.

This dwindling stream of US support casts a long shadow over Ukraine’s prospects. And Putin has been proven right, insofar as his prediction that the US would lose its “nerve” and stop supporting Ukraine if only Russia could wait long enough.

For several months, President Biden has faced hurdles in securing congressional approval for a new aid package for Ukraine, hindered by resistance from some factions within the “Putin-Wing” of the Republican Party.

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Wes O'Donnell

US Army & US Air Force Veteran | Global Security Writer | Intel Forecaster | Law Student | TEDx Speaker | Pro Democracy | Pro Human | Hates Authoritarians