Soon there will be 1000 days of determined, heroic, but also exhausting armed struggle of Ukrainians against Russia's all-out imperialist aggression on their homeland. The Ukrainian people clearly showed the whole world that they are ready to pay a high price for freedom and independence, for the defense of freedom and democracy. But now came the really critical moment of this war.
Russia realizes that its resources will probably be exhausted next year, so it is throwing everything at the front, both equipment and people - not only those mobilized from its underdeveloped regions, but also residents of Moscow, St. Petersburg - in the hope that Ukraine will break first under such a powerful rush. Russia is determined in its conquest and genocidal intentions towards Ukraine and does not look at its colossal human losses. That is why we must be aware of how crucial and important the issue of survival and defense of Ukraine is in this decisive moment of the biggest war on the European continent since 1945.
From the perspective of European security, Ukraine is the "first front line". Any weakness, indecision or attempt to flatter the aggressor can only strengthen Russian ambitions and encourage Putin in his fight against the "collective West", in his fight for the restoration of the Russian Empire. Any such delay or limitation, any hesitation, indecision or fear actually serves to strengthen Russia and provoke further escalation. We must remember: Russia is not an immediate threat to NATO now, because we, the Ukrainians, chose to fight. But if our allies do not act now, Russia's war with the Alliance could become a reality as soon as tomorrow.
This is not just an armed conflict between two countries; this is about whether the system of international relations, based on clear rules and law, will survive, or whether we will return to the old rule "who is stronger - he is right".
The West, above all the United States of America, the European Union and NATO, are investing significant resources not only in the military defense of Ukraine, but also in confidence in global peace and stability. If the West were to withdraw its support for Ukraine following the policy of appeasing the aggressors and respecting "Putin's red lines", it would - especially at the current critical point of the war - mean much more than the loss of territory for Ukraine. This would greatly threaten the overall security of Europe and send a message of the weakness of the collective West. Of course, this would seriously encourage all possible world autocracies towards their own wars and conquests.
Through its aggressive policy, Russia has made it clear that it will not stop only at Ukraine. In fact, Russian strategy relies on the idea of reviving Russian dominance in the entire post-Soviet and Eastern European space (and perhaps beyond) and returning to the old geopolitical borders. Even from the time of the Russian Empire before the First World War. For example - just imagine that now some modern countries would seriously talk about the restoration of another empire.
Ending support for Ukraine would only encourage the Kremlin and give it the green light for further aggression, which would drastically increase instability in the region. Now the West must face a moral and strategic question: if it does not support Ukraine today, who will be next? Such an approach, which would ignore Ukraine, would actually be a step backwards for the entire concept of international law and order.
In fact, Ukraine is not only fighting for its independence and territorial integrity - it is fighting for the right to exist, to identity and to preserve its values, which are also the values of the entire democratic world. Supporting Ukraine is not just about investing in military aid; it is an investment in the defense of all European democratic principles and stability.
Also, the international community should not forget about the humanitarian consequences of the war. The daily casualties, the bombing of civilian objects and the abuse of the civilian population are the direct consequences of the Kremlin's aggressive war policy directed against the Ukrainian people. Russia targets energy infrastructure, which creates huge problems for Ukrainian citizens, especially in winter. Ukrainian culture, its people and identity face an existential threat, and the democratic world has a responsibility not to allow the destruction of a European nation. All that is absurd, crazy and unimaginable in the 21st century.
The strategy of "pacifying" Russia has already proved unsuccessful. Any concession leads only to new demands from the warmongering Russian elite, not peace. The key to stability lies in the West's determination to support Ukraine and thus make it clear that all attempts to subvert the international order will be stopped. In this context, a policy of fear on the part of Western partners towards Russian "red lines" with an extreme desire to avoid escalation at all costs - without any decisive action of their own - is unsustainable. First of all, because Russia itself is escalating this war. The latest example - the engagement of soldiers from North Korea (not to mention Iranian drones and North Korean missiles). In this context, the overly restrained policy of the Ukrainian partners actually seems indecisive and weak - from the Russian point of view.
In this context, it would be appropriate to cite one illustrative example. In October 2024 alone, Russia launched more than 2 thousand "Shahed" drones against Ukraine, against our people. We face this problem literally every day. This number of "Shaheda" means more than 170.000 Western components that should be blocked for supply to Russia. Chips, microcontrollers, processors and many different parts, without which this terror would simply be impossible. All this comes to Russia from abroad. And that, unfortunately, from companies from Europe, Asia and America. This again brings the world back to the need to do much more to control the export of special parts and resources. In order not to allow Russia to overcome the sanctions that have long been imposed against Russia because of this war.
Therefore, only a strong reaction and consistent support to Ukraine and its defense forces can force Russia to stop its aggressive policies and agree to a just end to the war through an honest diplomatic process. Or lose his war machine. Such a reaction is extremely necessary now, when the war has entered its critical point and Russia is throwing all its forces and capacities to crush Ukraine, because the Kremlin understands that next year it will reach the end of its possibilities for conducting armed aggression.
Ukraine is not just a country at war - it is a symbol of resilience and hope for the free world. Any letting Ukraine down the drain by the Western partners would both mean a betrayal of the values mentioned above and would give a signal to authoritarian regimes around the world that their aggressive wars can go completely unpunished, as they did a few centuries ago. Along with that, of course, there would be a serious and heavy collapse of the reputation and credibility of the collective West. His competitors and rivals would very quickly take advantage of such a moment - we have no doubts about that. That is why it is crucial that the West stays with Ukraine and provides support in all forms, because this support is not just a political act, but an investment in long-term peace and stability in Europe and the world.
The author is the ambassador of Ukraine in Montenegro
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