Ukraine Action Summit
The Ukraine Action Summit gathered 500 Americans from 37 states to Washington D.C. to advocate for continued US support to Ukraine. Read a summary of the expert panels that participants heard from to commence the summit.
Expert Panels
The Ukraine Action Summit, which took place on October 22-24 in Washington, D.C. gathered 500 Americans from across 37 states. During this summit, participants met with their congressional representatives and senators to advocate for four pieces of legislation, as well as additional funding, in support of Ukraine.
Legislation included:
To begin the summit, participants heard from several panels of experts about how Ukraine can win the war, and why it matters so much to the United States that they do.
Why Ukrainian Victory Matters to the United States
Brigadier General (Retired) Mark Arnold
Gretchen Barton, Founder, Worthy Strategy Group
Ambassador William Taylor, Vice President for Europe and Russia, U.S. Institute for Peace; Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine
Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch, Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine
Moderator: Max Boot, Jean J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
My Main Takeaways
Ukraine is fighting for the values that the United States has long claimed to represent on the global stage: freedom, democracy, sovereignty.
Our adversaries are watching our response to Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine. Putin is watching to see what our limit is, and how long it takes for us to feel exhausted by war. Our other adversaries like China are watching to see our tolerance for long-term conflict. Rescinding our support at this stage would only demonstrate weakness.
Ukrainians have lived free of Russia from 1991 to 2014. They have seen what life is like under Russian imperialism and what life is like under democracy. They refuse to go back. There are people who believe that Ukraine needs to negotiate with Russia and make concessions, and that further supply of weapons could embolden Russia and escalate to World War III. Putin has explicitly stated that he will not stop with Ukraine if Russia is successful in this war, and that he will move onto NATO countries such as Poland. In this case, the United States would be obligated to get involved in this war in a much more significant role.
Right now, the United States spends 6/10 of 1% of our federal budget in support of Ukraine. If we were to actually give them everything they need, Ukraine could achieve victory in 18-24 months. The top priorities for Ukraine right now are ATACMS and F-16s, as well as weapons compatible with F-16s.
Dwindling media coverage of the Russian invasion of Ukraine leaves room for misinformation. Polling of 6,000 Americans suggests that some of the issues that resonate most strongly are:
Emphasizing the persecution of Christians in occupied territories under Russian imperialism
Demonstrating a realistic pathway to victory for Ukraine
Connecting the dots between the ways in which our adversaries create chaos on a global stage in a systematic, aligned manner
Demonstrate how this impacts Americans
How War Has Changed Ukrainian Society
Daria Kaleniuk, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Anti-Corruption Action Center
Vladyslav Rashkovan, Alternate Executive Director, International Monetary Fund
Dr. Kateryna Shynkaruk, Senior Lecturer, Bush School of Government and Public Service - Washington, D.C. Texas A&M University
Moderator: Melinda Haring, Senior Advisor, Razom for Ukraine; Nonresident Senior Fellow, the Atlantic Council
My Main Takeaways
After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, society and the government reduced their tolerance for corruption. They recognize that corruption is a threat to national security and can result in loss of life.
No country is exempt from corruption, and people are aware of corruption in Ukraine right now because they call it out and address it, all while fighting a war.
This panel also addressed the pros and cons of holding elections during full-scale war. While the world is looking at Ukraine and the steps they are taking to strengthen their democracy, holding elections could provide legitimacy to Russia’s annexation of territory, i.e. if elections are valid without the votes of Ukrainians in occupied territories, that is an acknowledgement that they are not a part of Ukraine.
Myths About Ukraine and U.S. Aid
Jonathan Katz, Senior Director of the Anti-Corruption, Democracy, and Security (ACDS) Project, The Brookings Institution
Peter Pomerantsev, Senior Fellow, Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins University
Moderator: Kateryna Lisunova, Congressional Correspondant
My Main Takeaways
Some of the biggest myths about United States aid to Ukraine are that we are giving Ukraine a blank check with no oversight and that Ukraine is corrupt. Other major concerns include fear of escalation and that Ukraine cannot win.
In reality, there is an interagency working group that provides robust oversight and monitoring of the aid that the United States provides to Ukraine. US inspectors general have testified about this, and the information is reviewed on a daily basis. Each assistance package has been debated, testified about, and voted upon by Congress
Only 4% of Americans support Putin, yet a much larger percentage supports strategies in line with his goals. Russia is being bolstered by some of our worst adversaries, but we have the ability to disarm them and cut off their ability to commit genocide through stronger sanctions and support for Ukraine.
How to Talk About Russian War Crimes in Advocacy
Elina Beketova, Democracy Fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis
Karolina Hird, Russia Deputy Team Lead, Institute for the Study of War
Colonel (Former) Yevgeny “Eugene” Vindman, U.S. Army (Retired), Director, Military Analysis & Prosecution Support, Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group
Moderator: Elana Broitman, Senior Advisor, The Roosevelt Group
My Main Takeaways
Global stability has allowed the United States to prosper post-WWII, but Russia’s actions pose a direct threat to that stability. Russia is maligned with adversaries across the globe such as Iran, China, and North Korea. We need to return to a rules-based international order for our own national security. This requires support in ending the war not on Russia’s terms, and assistance to Ukraine from the international community in holding Russia accountable for war crimes over the next several decades.