Jeff Fuhrman is an independent international finance director with significant experience in the former Soviet Union.  He resides in Iowa with his husband and their dog, Harambe.

I write today to advocate for a return to good judgment and integrity in U.S. policies toward Ukraine. 

The February 28 meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy devolved into a shouting match. Apparently it was was too much for the Trump administration for Zelenskyy to cite real facts in front of media outlets that might actually broadcast them.

The rhetorical tactics Trump and Vice President JD Vance used in response (including “if all else fails, just talk over them, loudly”) may have worked for some of the audience, but the messaging apparently didn’t land right. The administration sent Secretary of State Marco Rubio out to do more damage control a few hours later.

Rubio highlighted what he could from the administration’s policy approach towards Ukraine—briefly, that war with Russia is bad, and the administration has successfully transcribed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s requirements to even appear at the negotiating table. But his appearance just made the U.S. look weak and feckless, as if we were representing Russia’s national interests to the detriment of our own. 

And it’s no wonder—after a week or two of Trump’s teams undermining Ukrainian negotiating positions and parroting Putin’s talking points, there is little ground left for the secretary of state to stand on. 

This is lunacy, and it is disloyal. It is rightly damaging our credibility on the world stage. Forget “America First”; this is actively throwing away our national interests. It must stop.  

I spent most of the last 30 years working in international corporate finance. I have three relevant degrees and have conducted business and legal matters in more than 70 foreign jurisdictions, many in the former Soviet Union. I studied there, did business there, and taught Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance there. I even once led a business delegation to the deputy governor of a 1,200-year-old Russian state. I have a unique perspective on how abandoning Ukraine will harm us globally. 

Trump’s appeasement on Ukraine will harm our national interests. All our international relations—trade, exports, investments, tourism, military positioning, getting the best STEM researchers to our universities (where they are trained in English), even church food aid—all our soft power depends on the U.S. being a trustworthy partner. (“Soybeans don’t sell themselves!” then-Iowa Governor Terry Branstad told me once when our trade missions crossed paths in a German airport.)

The president’s moves undermine basic treaty principles like “don’t do ethnic cleansing.” They also encourage aggressive countries to invade other sovereign territories, continue the supply shocks that are fueling inflation in food and energy markets, risk the security of nuclear facilities, and permit the wanton destruction of beautiful Odesa and Donbas. None of that is in our national interest. None of it. 

Trump’s moves to switch sides will damage our integrity. Worst among the his actions is ending military aid to Ukraine. By doing this, we are reneging on security guarantees we made in exchange for Ukraine giving up their nuclear defenses. 

Strong, proud nations do not just abandon their allies on the battlefield. (Yes, Europe can and should contribute more, but withdrawing our part will drag the war out, not hasten its end.)

I made many acquaintances in the former Soviet Union. They are practical people—raised with Billy Joel and blue jeans as much as with Vladimir Vysotsky (“the Russian Bob Dylan”) and borshcht. I was surprised by how many of them named Ronald Reagan as their favorite American president. (“A strong and proud leader,” I heard consistently.)

I can tell you one thing with certainty about the old Soviets: they don’t countenance disloyalty. Russian Tsar Peter III abruptly switched sides in the 7-Years’ War after his predecessor Elizabeth I died, even though thousands of Russians had already died in the conflict. His own elite guard regiment helped Catherine the Great dethrone him within six months. 

In modern times, Vladimir Vysotsky, in his famous “Song About a Friend,” growled: “Take him climbing. If you fall, but he holds onto your ropes, he is trustworthy. If he whines or complains, send him away … he is someone else’s.”

If we allow Trump to go back on our word, even the Russians won’t deal with us in the future. They will see us abandon our ally and think worse of us for it. 

“But it’s not in our interest to fight forever foreign wars,” you might say. That is true—certainly for conflicts started after our Cold-War-Era turn as the “Global Gendarme.” But this isn’t fighting other people’s wars; this is carrying through on our own promises.

And this isn’t some new territorial conflict in a far-flung country. This is about maintaining the security and safety of our biggest trading partners, about protecting places where many Americans have roots, and about keeping our word. If you think our precipitous withdrawal from Afghanistan harmed our reputation and made it more difficult to promote U.S. interests, consider how bad it will be when we appease the invading dictator on our allies’ borders. 

I can say it no stronger than this: we will hang our heads in shame if Trump succeeds with this bad-faith disloyalty.      

So, what is to be done? To do what is right and in our national interest, credible people must insist to our foreign policy makers that we not abandon Ukraine. Senior politicians like Senate President pro tempore Charles Grassley must adopt a red line on Ukraine and insist that Trump act with integrity and honor towards our allies. 

Grassley and Iowa’s other Senator Joni Ernst can communicate to (former-Senator) Secretary Rubio how important consistent foreign policy is to American interests abroad. Other senior politicians like Alaska’s Senator Lisa Murkowski can maintain pressure on the administration to continue support for Ukraine and its people. Retired politicians like former Vice President Mike Pence must continue delivering the message in conservative media: Trump cannot be allowed to sell out Ukraine. 

This isn’t about executive and legislative roles, committee assignments or party loyalty. This is about representing the honor and national interests of the United States of America. 

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The author recommends that readers listen to Vladimir Vysotsky’s “Song About a Friend”:

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Editor’s note: This post has been corrected to remove a statement incorrectly attributed to Donald Trump, Jr.