Why Even A Corrupt Ukraine Is Worth Supporting Against Russian Aggression

Critics of America’s support for Ukraine often cite the latter’s corruption as a rationale not to provide assistance. Ukraine has struggled under the burden of corruption, but that does not override the fact that a Russian victory over Ukraine would be harmful to U.S. national security interests — two things can be true at the same time in a complicated world.

First, from a national security standpoint, Russia is one of a handful of hostile nation-states with nuclear weapons (or advanced nuclear programs) that pose a threat to America and its allies — the other nations being China, Iran, and North Korea.

If Russia wins against Ukraine, there will be a threat to Europe, NATO and the possibility of U.S. direct intervention. NATO’s Article VIf the Ukrainians fought on, it would be more than it is now. Russian victory in Ukraine could be an encouragement to Putin and confirm Putin’s belief that the Western powers have weakening capabilities. It would also open up the possibility for NATO resolve to be tested in the Baltic states.

Instead of a battlefield victory, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its resulting massive loss of tanks, artillery, and infantry has reduced the Russian threat to Europe — especially the frontline states of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Romania — for a generation. This is all due to the U.S. financial and material support.

Unfortunately, the war drags along. If Russia were to leave Ukraine tomorrow, it would end the war.

To understand whether the U.S. should provide Ukraine with aid, given that its corruption has infiltrated our shores as well as our politics, we can refer to the U.S. World War II Lend-Lease Program. This effort involved about $800 billion in assistance in today’s dollars or, as a share of GDP, more than $7 trillion to some 36 nations, including highly problematic or corrupt regimes like the Soviet Union and China, then ruled by the nationalists. Although billions of dollars in aid was lost due to corruption, it is clear that American capital enabled Allied soldiers to resist Axis power more effectively, which saved American lives and reduced the duration of the war.

Wartime Corruption is a part of the game

The Ukrainian corruption is not uncommon. Public corruption is not an exception around the globe. Ineffective rule of law, tribal and family loyalty over state allegiance, and cultural conspire to make honest, clean government rare.

In 1993, I was in post-Soviet Russia and witnessed this firsthand. That’s when I was involved in Establishing the first Western-run, commercial aviation technical stop at Kamchatka in Russia’s Far East. We refueled cargo planes coming up from Taipei or Hong Kong. This saved carriers approximately $25,000 per flight, as we avoided the high fuel and landing fees at Hokkaido in Northern Japan.

Each week, Russians are tempted to renegotiate the joint venture agreement. One time, a Russian civil aviation official was attached at the Russian Embassy in Japan. The approvals for necessary air were quickly granted.

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