The war in Ukraine is no longer breaking news, yet its implications grow deeper by the day. As missile strikes return to Kyiv and Russian bombardments intensify, the question before the United States is not simply about military aid or diplomatic posture. It is about principle, consistency, and whether America still stands by those who fight for their freedom.

A Patriot missile system stationed in Israel was cleared to be sent to Ukraine—a decision rooted not in President Trump’s recent foreign policy turn, but in a pre-election agreement forged under the Biden administration. Additional discussions are underway to redirect Patriot systems from Germany or Greece to protect Ukrainian skies. It’s a logistical shuffle, but the message is unmistakable: Ukraine still needs help. Urgently.

And that help must continue, not out of habit, nor obligation—but because it reflects something essential about the American idea.

I. 1778 Revisted: The Lessons of Forgotten Allies

Imagine the year is 1778. The American colonies, locked in a desperate struggle against one of the most powerful empires on Earth, have declared their independence—but are faltering. Supplies are dwindling. Morale is low. The dream of liberty trembles. And then, France arrives—with ships, arms, and recognition.

What if it hadn’t?

History records that the support of France was decisive. The victory at Yorktown was not merely a triumph of American resolve, but of international solidarity. France did not step in because the colonies were flawless. Nor did it do so without internal division or cost. But it recognized something fundamental: that liberty, once kindled, must not be allowed to flicker out in the wind.

Today, Ukraine finds itself in a similar place. The analogy is not perfect—history never is—but the moral question echoes. Should those who declare their freedom be left to fight alone?

II. The Cost of Ambiguity

Since retaking office, President Trump has oscillated between vague support and open disdain for Ukraine’s leadership. One moment, he rebukes Vladimir Putin on social media. The next, he dismisses President Zelensky’s requests for air-defense systems as incessant or excessive. While new deliveries of Patriots may still be arriving—some from U.S. inventories, others from European allies—the strategic coherence is waning.

And the world notices.

In capitals from Warsaw to Taipei, policymakers watch Washington not for its words, but for its follow-through. They remember the delays. The wavering. The Oval Office scolding of an embattled leader. They calculate, accordingly.

America’s credibility, once fractured in Iraq and strained during the Crimea annexation of 2014, is now being measured again—in real time, under fire. And it hangs in the balance.

III. Beyond Ukraine: Defending Principles, Not Just Borders

Ukraine is not only defending its own sovereignty—it is defending the principle that borders cannot be erased by force, that democracies cannot be dismantled by imperial ambition, and that war crimes cannot be normalized through fatigue.

Air defense systems like the Patriots are not just machines of war. They are political commitments. Every shipment, every diplomatic engagement, every public word reinforces—or weakens—the idea that freedom deserves protection.

The burden is not Ukraine’s alone. If the American republic forgets the logic that once bound it to the cause of freedom elsewhere, it risks forgetting its own origin story. If we grow comfortable in our detachment, history will not wait for us to feel ready.

IV. A Strategic and Moral Imperative

Critics of continued involvement raise legitimate concerns: cost, escalation, sustainability. But these must be weighed not only against today’s tensions, but tomorrow’s consequences.

What if Kyiv falls? What message will that send to Taiwan, to the Baltic states, to reformers in Belarus or Iran? What precedent does that set for the world’s autocracies, watching for weakness?

Isolationism has a tempting simplicity: let the world sort itself out. But in practice, it invites disorder. It creates voids. It rewards aggression.

The United States does not need to police the globe. But it does need to choose, clearly and consistently, the kind of world it wants to live in. A world where small nations are protected, or a world where might makes right.

V. The Test of Consistency: What Comes Next

No single Patriot battery will win the war in Ukraine. But each one sent strengthens the possibility that this war can end in justice, not in conquest.

The American Revolution succeeded not because the cause was easy, but because others saw its worth and lent their strength. To walk away now would not just be a betrayal of Ukraine—it would be a betrayal of memory.

In supporting Ukraine, the United States affirms that freedom is more than a national tradition—it is a shared responsibility. Let us not look away.

Welcome to the conversation.