OPINION: Why Ukraine Is an American Issue: Congressman Don Bacon’s Principled Stand
Donald Trump was elected as president because of his “America first” agenda. It should be clearer than ever that by helping Ukraine defeat Russia, the US president is making America greater.
Originally published at Kyiv Post on Apr 6, 2025
Photo:depositphotos
In a powerful New York Times op-ed , Congressman Don Bacon, a principled Republican and retired brigadier general, called on his colleagues and the President to join him in standing up to Vladimir Putin’s war of aggression in Ukraine. He made it clear that the fight in Ukraine is not a partisan issue – it’s an American one. And he’s right.
The war in Ukraine is bigger than Democrats or Republicans, the Left or the Right. It’s about whether the United States will uphold the values of freedom, sovereignty, and faith – or allow authoritarian regimes to erase borders, kidnap children, destroy churches, and shoot civilians in the back of the head.
The numbers are staggering: over 20,000 Ukrainian children kidnapped and deported to Russia. At least 300 women raped, according to faith leaders across denominations. More than 700 churches and religious buildings deliberately destroyed – not collateral damage, but intentional strikes against hope, community, and faith. These are not just war crimes; they are an assault on the very values Americans hold dear.
Pastor Mark Burns, a close advisor to President Donald J. Trump and a leading voice in the faith community, recently returned from Ukraine with a harrowing message. In a viral post, he wrote:
“The war in Ukraine is bigger than Democrats or Republicans... Whether you dislike President Trump or President Zelensky, real people are dying here... Innocent non-soldiers shot in the back of the head with their hands tied behind their backs... 20,000 children have been kidnapped and stolen to Russia... Everyone here in Ukraine is thanking President @realdonaldtrump and America for standing with Ukraine.”
That message matters. It shows that Ukraine is not some distant European conflict – it’s a battleground for the values that built America: faith, family, freedom, sovereignty. If we walk away, Putin wins. And history shows us that appeasement doesn’t end wars – it invites bigger ones.
Standing with Ukraine is not a globalist move – it is a deeply America First policy. Ukraine is fighting the war so we don’t have to. They’re using their soldiers, not ours. Their fight is weakening Russia – America’s long-term adversary and China’s closest ally. Every Russian tank destroyed, every drone shot down, is a blow to the China-Russia axis that threatens American interests from Eastern Europe to Taiwan.
And this is where Greenland comes in.
President Trump was mocked by the media for suggesting the US should consider acquiring – or at least deepening its strategic relationship with – Greenland. But he was right to focus on it. Greenland is critical for US national security. It contains rare earth minerals that China desperately wants, sits astride vital Arctic trade routes, and offers military advantages we cannot afford to lose.
A weakened Russia makes securing the Arctic – and Greenland – easier. A strong Ukraine means a strong NATO, and a stronger America. President Trump understood this when he sent Javelins to Ukraine while others sent only blankets. That wasn’t politics. That was leadership.
The Vice President JD Vance, too, has asked tough questions about foreign aid, as any patriot should. But his recent comments acknowledging the threat of a Russian victory and the need to take America’s strategic interests seriously show that this conversation is evolving in the right direction.
Now is the moment for clarity and courage. President Trump has always put America first. And putting America first today means standing with Ukraine until Russia is expelled – fully and finally – from all Ukrainian territory, including Crimea. Anything less guarantees that America will stay entangled in a grinding conflict for decades, with Putin constantly testing our resolve.
Congressman Bacon has shown the way. Now it’s time for the rest of the Republican Party – and the White House – to follow.
Standing with Ukraine is not about politics. It’s about preventing a bigger war, defeating tyranny, protecting our national security, and living up to the values that define us as Americans.
And as Pastor Burns reminded us: “Pray with me that peace comes quickly in Jesus’s name.”
Amen to that.