Dear President Donald J. Trump,
The existence of Ukraine and its people is on the line. Day after day, night after night, they suffer Russian drone and missile strikes. These kill civilians, leave residential buildings in ruins and destroy energy infrastructure. The goal is to pummel the country into submission and leave its people in darkness and despair.
As you well know, Russia is waging a brutal and illegal war of unprovoked aggression against Ukraine, Europe and, by extension, the United States as leader of the free world. The goal is to seize territory in violation of international law, obliterate Ukraine’s statehood, reestablish hegemony over Europe and overthrow U.S.-led rules-based order.
Given this reality, any appeasement of Russia as the aggressor, any attempts at putting pressure on Ukraine as the victim of this aggression, is morally reprehensible and an outrage against human decency. To bow before Russia is to abandon shared values and plunge the free world into anarchy and chaos.
Strong American leadership is the only hope. A cowed America can never be great again; a cowed America can never be first. America is only great and first when it steadfastly stands for freedom, democracy, respect for human rights and rule of law.
The world is watching what happens in Ukraine - countries under threat of authoritarian regimes will succumb to further aggression if Russia is not defeated in Ukraine.
While we applaud your efforts to pursue peace, it is important to keep the words of President Ronald Reagan in mind when asked about his strategy for dealing with the Soviet Union: “We win, they lose.”
This must be our shared strategy for dealing with Russia, as well as crafting a peace plan delivering a just and lasting peace. The U.S., Ukraine and the free world must win; Russia and its axis of evil allies must lose.
Yours sincerely,
Žygimantas Pavilionis, Chair of the Global Parliamentary United for Ukraine Alliance, Deputy Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Lithuania
Oleksandr Merezhko, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee of the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of Ukraine
Vadym Halaichuk, Member of Parliament of Ukraine
Laurynas Kasčiūnas, Chairman of Homeland Union - Lithuanian Christian Democrats, Deputy Chair of National Security and Defence Committee of Lithuania
Prof. Dainius Žalimas, Member of the European Parliament
Andro Krstulović Opara, Chairman of Foreign Affairs Committee of Croatia
Rihards Kols, Member of the European Parliament
Senator Garret Ahearn, Government Chief WhipVice Chairperson, Foreign Affairs and Trade Committee, Ireland Marko Mihkelson, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee of EstoniaBeata Jurik, Deputy Chair of EU Committee, SlovakiaFerenc Gelencsér, Member of Foreign Affairs Committee, HungaryDoina Gherman, Deputy Speaker of MoldovaGrzegorz Schetyna, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee of Polish SenateHristo Gadzhev, Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, Bulgaria Ann-Sofie Alm, Member of Parliament of the Kingdom of SwedenLia Quartapelle, Vice President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Italian Chamber of DeputiesNathalie Loiseau, Member of the European ParliamentJukka Kopra, Chairman of the party group of National Coalition Party, Finland Edward Lucas, author, Baltic International Security Centre, United KingdomKaroliina Partanen, Member of the Finnish parliament, Vice chairman of KokoomusDerk Boswijk, Member of the Dutch Parliament and the Foreign Affairs CommitteeTina Bokuchava, United National Movement - Chair, GeorgiaMichael Gahler, Member of the European ParliamentUrmas Reinsalu, Member of Parliament, former Foreign Minister of EstoniaKerstin Lundgren, spokesperson Foreign Affairs, SwedenAntonio Miloshoski, Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of North MacedoniaPablo Hispan, Spain, Chairman of the EPP Group, Council of EuropeBarry Ward TD, Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs, IrelandSebastian Roloff, spokesperson for economic affairs, member of the committee for EU affairs of the German BundestagDimitris Kairidis, MP and Chief Majority Spokesperson at the Hellenic ParliamentDávid Bedő - Member of Parliament of Hungary Parliamentary Group LeaderTobias Winkler, Member of the German BundestagHead of Delegation to the OSCE-PAPavel Fischer, Chair of Committee on Foreign Affairs, Security and Defence, Senate of the Czech RepublicViktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Deputy Speaker of LithuaniaFrédéric Petit, Deputy Chair of EU Committee, FranceLucia Yar, Slovak MEP, member of SEDE and in charge of Defence OmnibusMichael Roth, former German Minister of State for Europe, former MPViola von Cramon-Taubadel, former MEP and Vice-Chair of the EU-Ukraine DelegationPeeter Tali, Chair of European Union Affairs committee of Riigikogu, EstoniaBruno Fuchs, Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Parliament of France Heikki Autto, Chairman of the Defence Committee, Parliament of FinlandIvanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, Chair, Committee on Ukraine’s Integration into the EU, Verkhovna Rada (Parliament) of UkraineGustaf Göthberg, Member of Defence Committee, SwedenSaara-Sofia Sirén, Chair of Grand Committee, Parliament of FinlandIrma Kalniņa, Deputy Chair of Foreign Affairs Committee, LatviaIngrida Šimonytė, Deputy Chair of EU Committee, former Prime Minister of LithuaniaProf. Ivan Vuković, Chairman of the European Integration Committee, Parliament of MontenegroAnton Hofreiter, Chair of the european affairs committee of the federal Parliament of GermanyAgnieszka Pomaska, Chair of the European Affairs Committee of the Sejm, PolandHenrike Brandstötter, Member of the Austrian National Council, Head of the Austria-Ukraine Parliamentary Friendship GroupInāra Mūrniece, Chairwoman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Parliament of LatviaRoderich Kiesewetter MP German Bundestag, Committee of Foreign Affairs, Colonel (GS) ret.
