Can Ukraine Fight on Without the USA? "Hold Putin Accountable" and Rely on New German Leadership
Trusting a fresh German Chancellor with our aspirations
In the heart of Kyiv, experts gather to discuss Ukraine's defensive war against Russia and its potential alliance shifts. Amidst global power dynamics, Ukraine's former President, Petro Poroshenko, places hope in the new German Chancellor. Experts tell us that while the USA remains an important partner, Ukraine needs a "Plan B."
Rolling across the Red Square in Moscow, tanks celebrate victory against Nazism, while in Kyiv, experts anxiously ponder Ukraine's future amidst uncertainty about the Western alliance under U.S. President Donald Trump. Can Ukraine survive without U.S. support? Is peace achievable? And if not, what weapons might tip the scale in its favor?
"We're on the front line in an incredibly precarious situation," said Poroshenko during the Kyiv Security Forum. "We lack not only personnel but also equipment, ammunition, and weapons, particularly air defense. We're pinning our hopes on the new German Chancellor. I had a chance to speak with him just a few days ago, and I was very impressed by his commitment to a stronger leadership role for Germany across all Europe."
Ukraine's overall security and defense strategy in 2025 is focused on enhancing self-reliance amid a changing landscape of international support. The role of drone technology has become essential in Ukraine's battlefield tactics, with plans to incorporate larger drone formations and boost precision strike and air defense capabilities.
Former Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk compares this historical moment to the need to resist appeasement with Hitler in 1938, warning that "Putin plays by different rules than Trump." If the free world is to prevail, negotiations and concessions will not be enough, and military deterrence will be vital.
Kurt Volker, Trump's former Ukraine envoy, shares this view, explaining that Putin will never accept peace. Instead, the pressure on Moscow must increase to force Russia to move towards a ceasefire. Why is the pressure on Ukraine, and not on Russia? Volker believes the U.S. administration misunderstands Putin's motivations, mistaking them for a desire for a good deal.
Political pundits and security experts agree that holding Putin accountable will be essential if Ukraine is to emerge victorious. Negotiations have been futile so far, and concessions will harm Ukraine more than they help. As Yatsenyuk put it, Ukraine will "restore the world order again." Let us hope that this time, the message is heard loud and clear.
- Attack on Ukraine
- Ukraine
- Russia
- Friedrich Merz
- Ceasefire
- Arms Delivery
- Donald Trump
- Vladimir Putin
Enrichment Insights:
Ukraine's security and defense strategy in 2025 is focused on developing a more technologically advanced military, particularly with drone technology, and reducing its dependence on external arms supplies by fostering domestic defense production and collaborations with Germany. Europe seeks to support Ukraine's self-reliance in defense, including through the use of frozen Russian assets and cooperation on future joint production of air and missile defense systems and ammunition. This shift reflects an increasing awareness of the need to adapt to evolving international support dynamics.
- Ukraine's defensive war against Russia may require a shift in alliance, with Ukraine looking toward the new German Chancellor for support.
- The future of Ukraine's security is uncertain as Ukraine ponders the reliability of the Western alliance under U.S. President Donald Trump.
- Poroshenko expressed the need for more personnel, equipment, ammunition, and weapons, particularly air defense, during the Kyiv Security Forum.
- Arseniy Yatsenyuk has compared the current situation to the need to resist appeasement with Hitler in 1938, emphasizing the importance of military deterrence in dealing with Putin.
