UABA Urges Swift Congressional Passage of S. 2828 and HR. 5782

 The Ukrainian American Bar Association (UABA) strongly urges
swift congressional passage of Senate Bill 2828 and House Bill
HR 5782.  These bipartisan bills will grant Ukraine "Major
Non-NATO Ally Status" (MNNA) and defensive military
assistance.  Once these bills become law, they will greatly
enhance the United States' national security interests and
will promote peace on the Eurasian continent and throughout
the world.


 It is obvious that economic sanctions in and of themselves are
woefully deficient and will not stop Russia's unlawful
aggression against Ukraine.  Despite all its denials, the
Kremlin now openly deploys its heavily armed military on
Ukrainian territory, and continually re-supplies its mercenary
"separatists" with impunity under the guise of "humanitarian
aid."  Putin has doubled down on his bellicose pronouncements
and has vehemently restated his resolve to return Russia to
the previous borders of the former USSR, and even to expand
the Kremlin's hegemony over the eastern parts of the European
Union.  Obviously, Vladimir Putin has made the economic
calculation that he can withstand the financial price of a
scolding by the West (including any additional sanctions that
could be imposed in the future)  -- and all international
agreements, promises, and pledges Russia had signed in the
past don't matter.

 America readily supplies lethal weapons worth billions of
dollars to questionable allies in the Middle East.  We are
ready to put "boots on the ground" to protect countries in
that region, many of which have well-equipped armies of their
own and the economic strength to fully support their own
military, but these same countries do not put their
citizenry's boots on the ground to defend their own
territorial integrity from invasion.  We are asked to do it
for them -- and we have done that!   However, when it comes to
Ukraine, which does not ask America to put our soldiers in the
line of fire -- Ukrainians already have their sons and
daughters dying daily on the front lines -- but asks only for
adequate weapons so that Ukraine's sons and daughters can
suitably defend themselves, America rebuffs Ukraine's dire
requests with lame excuses.

 Had Ukraine received American and Western military aid earlier
in a timely fashion, Ukraine would have been in a better
military posture to repel the pro-Russian terrorists and seal
its border from further Russian incursion.  Continued
tardiness or inaction by the United States Congress in
rendering timely military aid to Ukraine will  condemn Ukraine
to an endless and hopeless waiting for American assistance --
as the characters in "Waiting for Godot"-- only to have its
sovereign territory painfully eroded by Russian aggression,
with extensive casualties to its population, with millions of
people displaced, and many a young Ukrainian soldier killed by
a stronger and brutal aggressor nation whose only goal is
imperial territorial expansion.  If Ukraine falls, then the
horrific conflagration of war will spill over into the eastern
part of the European Union and will necessitate American
"boots on the ground".  All this may be avoided if the United
States Congress acts now and fulfills its obligation and duty
to give timely military assistance to Ukraine.


For further information, please contact
Myroslaw Smorodsky, Esq.
 Communications Director of the Ukrainian American Bar
Association (UABA)
 Tel: 201-507-4500; Email; myroslaw@smorodsky.com; Website;
www.smorodsky.com