HOW TO THINK ABOUT IT

Breaking the stalemate … When he was elected last April, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (pictured) — a well-known comedian but political newcomer — pledged to finally end the five-year-long war that’s claimed more than 13,000 lives. The 2015 Minsk Agreement, which attempted to enforce a cease-fire, has barely worked. But together with the leaders of France, Germany and Russia, Zelensky’s hoping to restart four-way talks that could finally lead to lasting peace. A high-profile prisoner exchange with Russia in September was seen as an indicator of his ability to make good on his promise.

… and stepping back. As both sides gradually pull back their forces from key flashpoints, the situation remains as fragile as ever. Keeping the front lines quiet, and Russian President Vladimir Putin committed to drawing down, requires clear American leadership. Whether through defense funding or political will — though ideally both — Kyiv relies deeply on American support. But with U.S. diplomats tied up in Capitol Hill hearings over Trump’s alleged shakedown of Ukraine, that leadership’s absent in Kyiv. It’s especially urgent as the Kremlin continually eyes ways to keep its toehold in Ukraine through its military and political proxies. As the former head of Ukraine’s national security council recently told the New York Times, it’s “a question of life and death for us.”

In the field ... Then there are the troops themselves: Nestled in trenches along the bleak, post-industrial landscape of eastern Ukraine, they’re meagerly supplied — surviving on stove-cooked potatoes, veggies and canned preserves — and count on a variety of American-made goods, from medkits to night-vision goggles, to maintain an edge over the Russian-supplied enemy. But equally important is the psychological boost, or in this case, the hit, they feel from knowing where Washington stands.

… and on the streets. And that’s to say nothing of Ukraine’s other army: the dedicated anti-corruption activists who have fought tooth and nail to eradicate graft by cleaning up the bureaucracy and attempting to reform the courts. Consider this: As OZY reported, Ukraine could gain a whopping $27 billion in budget savings simply by improving governance. But if it stands alone in that fight, and if backdoor politics continue to be encouraged, that much-needed cash might be as good as gone.

WHAT TO READ

Ukraine’s Young Corruption Fighters Struggle Against Elites — and Donald Trump, by Tracy Wilkinson and Sabra Ayres in the Los Angeles Times
“These young reformers speak English, aspire to Western values, reject their country’s Soviet past, have turned away from Moscow — and now fear that the U.S. has turned away from them.”

Can Volodymyr Zelensky Live Up to the Expectations He Has Created? by The Economist
“How firmly the West stands by Ukraine, however, depends largely on Mr Zelensky’s ability to defeat corruption.”

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