At this moment, Ukrainians are using barricades made of snow to defend themselves against police in Kiev.
For more than two weeks, they have been turning out to protest President Viktor Yanukovych’s decision to scuttle a trade agreement with the European Union in favor of closer ties with Russia. As usual, Vladimir Putin helped that decision along with threats about what might happen if Ukraine opted for the EU.
At stake is far more than trade. At stake is whether Ukrainians can take their rightful place in the Western world or will fall back into Russia’s orbit. In this struggle, the silence from the president has been deafening.
Yes, Secretary of State John Kerry expressed “disgust” with the government’s use of force after promising it would allow peaceful protest. And Kerry’s deputy, Victoria Nuland, who is in Kiev, has also condemned the anti-protester violence.
But there are moments when the world needs to hear from the president of the United States. This is one of them. And what was his signal? As Ukrainian police cracked down, Obama was shaking hands with Cuban President Raul Castro.
What a difference from 2004. Back then, Ukraine’s pro-democracy Orange Revolution was triggered by a clearly rigged election in favor of the Kremlin-backed Yanukovych. In response, then-President George W. Bush publicly warned “the international community is watching very closely.” The election was overturned.
No one’s calling for President Obama to declare war on Russia. But when it comes to a battle between a foreign tyrant and a people fighting for their free future, the president needs to let the Ukrainians — and the world — know America is not neutral.