Let Ukraine decide their issues

Writer Jim Burstein (12 March) accuses critics of American aid to Ukraine of ignoring facts. But the ones he produces are highly questionable.

He writes that “the vast majority of Ukrainians decided to mobilize and choose their own government in 2014.” But majorities, let alone vast ones, are produced by elections, not street demonstrations. And as for choosing their own government, we know that an American diplomatic operative Victoria Nuland handpicked their new prime minister in 2014.

Doubtless the Ukrainian opposition to the Russian invasion is moved by passionate nationalism. (Although about a fifth of the population chose to leave the country rather than fight for it, and these will be very difficult to repatriate.) But nationalism is a highly problematic quality. It has, after all, been at the root of most of the turmoil in the world for the past few centuries.

Mr. Burstein concludes by quoting a Ukrainian patriot, who says exactly what you would expect her to do. I have often wondered why we allow Eastern Europeans to steer our foreign policy (thinking here of Zbigniew Brzezinski and Madeleine Korbelova Albright).

Isn’t there such a thing as diplomatic conflict of interest?

That leads to a final observation. Such facts as Mr. Burstein argues don’t begin to show why any of this is our business, or warrant the blank check he wants to give Ukraine. He writes “Democracy means Ukrainians get to decide these issues, not the USA and not Russia.” In that case, let them.

— Carl Peterson, Paradise