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So Friday night, I was super pissed when I saw the disgraceful treatment of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when he met with 34-time convicted felon Donald Trump who is our President but not a leader. I agree with Adam Schiff said on that day "A hero and a coward are meeting in the Oval Office today. And when the meeting is over, the hero will return home to Ukraine." 1
My disappointment and embarrassment as an American prompted me to write this letter to President Zelenskyy, Ukrainian leaders and soldiers, and the resilient people of Ukraine. I have also set it up so that anyone else can send a letter to them. I have to say the response has been overwhelming—our People Power United members have shown up for freedom over fascism! Across America, we are seeing an outpouring of love and support for President Zelenskyy and the people of Ukraine.
However, there have been a few disturbing messages from people claiming “heil Putin,” evoking the horror of the Holocaust when people used “heil Hitler.” Usually, I don’t address these folks, but if I’m receiving this type of message, you might be too, and here is my response.
It is un-American to support a dictator who has repeatedly broken agreements, oppressed his people, and waged deceitful wars. Yet, some still advocate for appeasement or outright support of leaders like this, ignoring a mountain of evidence proving their untrustworthiness.
History is littered with examples of despots who have lied, manipulated, and brutalized their way to power, only for their enablers to feign surprise when they break their promises or escalate violence. Supporting such a figure like Putin is morally indefensible and a denial of reality. Take, for example, a dictator who systematically imprisons, poisons, and sometimes has his opponents killed. What kind of rational government or individual would ever trust the word of such a person? A leader like Putin who silences dissent through force and assassination is not someone who should be engaged in good faith. The Putin regime does not respect diplomacy—it exploits it. Putin signs agreements only to buy time or gain leverage, knowing fully that it will violate those agreements when convenient. To ignore this history is to invite betrayal.
Beyond just silencing opposition, Putin lies compulsively, using state-controlled propaganda to manipulate public perception. By controlling the media, he suppresses free speech and floods the airwaves with deceit. His people do not hear the truth; they hear only what he wants them to believe. When a leader builds his power on lies, deceit, and the destruction of free thought, why would anyone take his word seriously? How can any agreement made with such a person be expected to hold? The only predictable thing about such a leader is that he will lie whenever it suits him.
The corruption of the justice system further solidifies his rule. As a dictator Putin has eliminated any remaining checks on his power by planting judges who will rule in his favor. The law becomes a tool of oppression rather than justice. Political opponents, journalists, and dissidents are thrown into prison on bogus charges, ensuring that there is no meaningful resistance. A legal system that functions as an extension of a dictator’s will is not justice but tyranny.
One of the most horrifying aspects of this regime is Putin’s willingness to sacrifice soldiers for a pointless and brutal war. When Putin sent troops into battle under the pretense of “training exercises,” many of them went to their deaths in what has become known as a meat grinder. These soldiers, deceived and sent to die for a dictator’s ambitions, had no idea they were marching toward slaughter. What kind of leader treats his military as expendable cannon fodder? Any leader who lies to their troops wastes their lives and prolongs war for their gain. He does not care about peace; he cares about power. Given this track record, why would anyone believe such a dictator like Putin wants peace? He has broken agreements before, he has shown no regard for human life, and he rules through lies and terror. To trust him is not just foolish; it is dangerous. Supporting him only enables more suffering, more betrayal, and more death.
History has shown us time and time again that appeasing a dictator like Putin never leads to peace—it only emboldens him to commit greater atrocities. The only way to deal with such a regime like Putin’s is through unwavering opposition, not delusional hope that this time will be different.
Russia’s behavior under Vladimir Putin proves this point beyond a shadow of a doubt. Russia has a long history of violating ceasefires and treaties, showing that it cannot be trusted to honor agreements. During the first Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2014, Russia agreed to the Minsk Agreements, meant to provide a peaceful resolution to the Donbas conflict. Yet, Russia repeatedly violated ceasefires and refused to withdraw its troops. By February 2022, Russia had broken the protocols entirely and launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
This pattern of deceit is not limited to Ukraine. Russia also invaded Georgia in 2008, breaking a ceasefire agreement there and continuing to occupy Georgian territory to this day. Putin’s government has also violated multiple international treaties, including the New START Treaty and the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Russia does not honor agreements—it manipulates them until it is ready to strike again.
In addition to breaking agreements, Russia has a long track record of assassinating political opponents. Alexei Navalny, Boris Nemtsov, and numerous journalists and dissidents have been poisoned, shot, or otherwise silenced for daring to challenge Putin’s authority. The Kremlin’s brutality extends beyond its borders, as seen in its use of chemical weapons in assassinations abroad.
Some people claim that forcing Ukraine into a peace agreement with Russia would end the war and save lives. But history shows otherwise. If Ukraine is forced into a ceasefire, Russia will wait for international attention to shift elsewhere before regrouping and launching another attack. The only way to end Russia’s aggression is with its defeat. Putin’s Russia is a regime built on lies, oppression, and war. To support him is to ignore reality and history. The fools who back a lying, ruthless dictator are not just misguided—they are complicit in enabling further atrocities. We must stand firmly with Ukraine and against Putin’s tyranny. Anything less is a betrayal of justice, freedom, and humanity itself.
Today’s Calls-to-Action
Click here to join us at our next event.
Click here to sign the petition: Tell Trump: Stop Siding with Russia Over Ukraine
Click here to send a letter of support for the President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian leaders and soldiers, and the resilient people of Ukraine
Call my members of Congress at (202) 224-3121 and demand they support Ukraine and stop empowering Putin.
Click here to Take the Freedom Over Fascism pledge to reject authoritarianism in all its forms.
Commit to Vote in every election and urge my friends and family to elect leaders who defend democracy and stand with our allies.
Click here to Send a message to your members of Congress and demand they support Ukraine and stop empowering Putin.
Click here to send a message to Tell Trump: Stop Siding with Putin and Russia Over Ukraine
Real courage is doing the right thing when nobody's looking. Doing the unpopular thing because it's what you believe, and the heck with everybody. ― Justin Cronin
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https://www.instagram.com/senadamschiff/p/DGoD67AJNEC/
https://thehill.com/opinion/international/4443781-history-shows-that-no-ceasefire-or-treaty-with-russia-can-be-trusted/
https://apnews.com/article/russia-kremlin-enemy-navalny-prigozhin-litvinenko-skripal-958c2ed6b8d60ecc4f64092fc1f9ceb5
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/12/29/world/europe/russia-ukraine-war-censorship.html
https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-crackdown-opposition-dissent-prison-532705369591610a94e9e86340233380
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/10/us/politics/russia-casualties-ukraine-war.html
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