There’s plenty of fight left in Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made that clear during an interview with CBS on Sunday when he said, “Overall, we’re not ready to give away our country. I think we’ve already given up a lot of lives, so we need to stand firm for as long as we can.”
It’s the truth.
All the evidence you need is in Mariupol, where Ukrainian forces have rejected Russia’s demands to surrender. Like their comrades on Snake Island, who famously responded to the threat of a Russian invasion with “Russian warship, go f*** yourself,” the defenders of Mariupol rejected the demand and vowed to hold their ground. Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said, “We still are fighting. … We do not have [the] intention to surrender.”
These men and women have embraced the fifth stanza of the U.S. Army Ranger Creed: “Energetically will I meet the enemies of my country. I shall defeat them on the field of battle for I am better trained and will fight with all my might. Surrender is not a Ranger word. I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy and under no circumstances will I ever embarrass my country.”
While they battled in Mariupol, the Ukrainian military sunk the Russian fleet’s Black Sea flagship, the Moskva, with two Ukrainian Neptune missiles.
The West also seems to be escalating its support for Ukraine. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson strolled with Zelensky through downtown Kyiv. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also visited Kyiv, offering Ukraine a fast track toward European Union membership. And the Biden administration has announced another $800 million in security assistance. It includes artillery, coastal defense drones, anti-aircraft and anti-tank armored vehicles, and Mi-17 helicopters.
Zelensky is not willing to give up any territory to appease Russia, and he shouldn’t have to. The Ukrainian people are fighting gallantly for their country against tremendous odds, and they are winning. They deserve our continued and increased support.
Retired Army Col. Jon Sweet served 30 years as a military intelligence officer. His background includes tours of duty with the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
