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To the Editor:

America and most of the free world are standing with Ukraine.

As it suffers an unprovoked attack from Russia, we are witness to genocide on a historic level.

The senseless slaughter of civilians and the wide-spread destruction of hospitals, schools, shopping centers, high rise apartment buildings, private residences, the infrastructure of Ukraine and even a nuclear power plant is evil and must be stopped.

Ukraine has been pleading for more military aid, yet we’re sending tokens of guilt because no one in our current leadership has the guts to stand up to a bully.

They say Russia might use nuclear weapons. Instead, Russia should be afraid that we will use them.

Why do we bow to Moscow and let them determine our actions and destiny?

Right now, the world needs strong American leadership, as we have done in the past.

Most of the free world united to sanction Russia but in the long run, that won’t matter. China is all too happy to fill that gap.

Don’t ever forget that China is one of the five countries that refused to condemn the Russian invasion of a sovereign nation that had not attacked or threatened it.

I hope Ukraine will soon be welcomed as a member of the European Union and eventually a member of NATO.

Russia has used thermobaric, cluster, and other banned weapons on Ukraine and as of this writing may be planning to use chemical and biological weapons. Yet, the world watches, afraid to do what is necessary to stop the slaughter.

As a result of our weak leadership, Russia regained control of the country of Georgia.

In 2014, Russia “annexed” Ukraine’s important Crimean Peninsula, yet the West stood still.

Appeasement to evil has never worked and it never will.

Putin again seeks territorial expansion and will continue his march through the Baltic States and other former Soviet republics.

Then what?

Will he burp and say, I’ve got enough?

It is a historical truth that given the choice between freedom and authoritarian rule, people will choose to be free.

The former states of the USSR tried Communism (whether they wanted to or not) and most rejected it.

Remember when President Reagan famously said “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”Reagan and America stood with people who wanted to be free from Soviet tyranny and he gave them hope and courage.

Ukraine has had a long and deadly history with communism and with Russia.

Ukraine has some of the best farmland in the world but during Stalin’s 1932-1933 period known as the “Holodomor”, an estimated 3 – 4 million Ukrainians died of starvation because Russia took their grain. It was so bad that some resorted to cannibalism. There were even reports of parents eating their own children.

The same evil is at work now.

The politics of weakness will continue to cause savagery and innocent deaths.

The US should lead the fight against evil and immediately stand up to Russia starting with a no-fly zone.

The President of Ukraine is pleading for our help and if we don’t stop the growth of evil, it will spread.

Garry Terry

Ahoskie