The Foreign Service Journal, October 2022

26 OCTOBER 2022 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Ukrainians will not cede their territory to Russia and will work to regain it, no matter how long that takes. Sweden, the nature of Russian tendencies over the centuries— autocratic, oppressive, aggressive, expansionist, sometimes cruel, and often criminal. Nations that live next to such a country need collective security. Fourth, after the current war ends—or, as the Ukrainians say, after the victory—Ukraine will need some way to deter another Russian invasion, some way to frustrate Putin’s obsession with Ukraine. The best way would be NATOmembership. In the mean- time, the commitment to give Ukraine the means to defend itself, to deter another invasion, perhaps along the lines I outline above, will be necessary. What is the value added of having U.S. diplomats on the ground in Ukraine? As all readers of The Foreign Service Journal know well, there is no substitute for face-to-face dialogue and representation, espe- cially during a war. While everyone understands that the security and safety of U.S. diplomats are important, everyone was pleased with the decision to return the U.S. embassy to Kyiv. Ambassador Bridget A. Brink and her (still small but growing) team of Americans, supported by the superb and crucial Ukrai- nian embassy staff, can now coordinate directly with the Ukrai- nian government on all aspects of U.S. support for Ukraine’s fight against the Russians. Ukrainian government officials can now discuss directly with U.S. officials how that support can be more effective. The interagency policy process in Washington can now be better informed about Ukrainian policies, actions, attitudes, and recommendations. Ambassador Brink, as the most senior official in the U.S. government whose full-time responsibility is U.S. policy toward Ukraine, can nowmake her recommendations based on daily, firsthand information. n