Europe is stepping forward to defend Ukraine. The United States must decide whether it still intends to lead.
Former Rep. Pete King is right.
Britain, France, and other European nations deserve credit for standing with Ukraine as it marked 35 years of independence. Their leaders did not allow Vladimir Putin’s threats to frighten them away from Kyiv. They showed up. More importantly, they brought more than speeches and handshakes.
Britain and France have agreed to share classified technology that could allow Ukraine to manufacture the Storm Shadow cruise missile domestically. This is a serious weapon capable of striking military targets far behind Russian lines. Ukraine needs that ability. It cannot win a war if Russia can fire missiles from a safe distance while Ukrainian forces are expected to fight with one hand tied behind their backs.
Naturally, Moscow responded with threats.
The Kremlin warned Britain that it was “playing with fire.” Russian officials suggested British military facilities could become targets. This is how Putin operates. He invades a neighboring country, bombs its cities, attacks its power grid, and then accuses anyone helping the victim of escalating the conflict.
We have heard this routine before.
Every time the West considers sending Ukraine a new weapon, Putin threatens consequences. We heard it when Ukraine received advanced artillery. We heard it when Western nations provided tanks. We heard it when Ukraine received longer-range missiles and fighter aircraft.
The threats are meant to divide us. They are meant to make Americans and Europeans believe that helping Ukraine is more dangerous than allowing Russia to win.
That is a terrible mistake.
Putin understands weakness. He also understands strength. When the West hesitates, he pushes harder. When the West appears divided, he looks for the next opening. That does not mean America should rush into war unthinkingly. It means we should recognize that surrendering ground to an aggressor rarely buys lasting peace.
Ukraine is not asking American soldiers to fight its war. Ukrainians are doing the fighting for themselves. They are paying the price in blood, destroyed homes, and shattered communities. What they need from the West are weapons, intelligence, training, and the freedom to defend themselves effectively.
There is also a hard national security interest for the United States.
Russia is one of America’s leading adversaries. It works with Iran, supports hostile regimes, launches cyberattacks, spreads disinformation, and threatens NATO countries. A Russia weakened by its failed invasion is less capable of threatening American allies elsewhere. Helping Ukraine resist Russian aggression is not charity. It is a strategic investment.
Europe increasingly recognizes that fact. According to the Kiel Institute’s Ukraine Support Tracker, European nations have stepped up their assistance as American support has declined. Europe is now carrying more of the overall burden, although it still relies heavily on American-made weapons.
For years, Americans complained that Europe did not spend enough on its own defense. That criticism was justified. Now several European countries are responding. Britain, France, Poland, the Baltic states, and others understand that Ukraine is the front line of European security.
America should welcome that effort. We should not use it as an excuse to walk away.
There is a growing strain of isolationism in American politics, including on the right. Some people repeat Putin’s claims almost word for word. They blame NATO for the invasion. They portray Ukraine as the aggressor. They act as if Russia wandered across an international border after being provoked.
That is really nonsense.
Russia invaded Ukraine. Russia seized territory. Russia targets civilians and abducts Ukrainian children. We can debate how aid is delivered, how it is monitored, and how much Europe should contribute. Those are legitimate questions. Pretending Putin is the victim is not.
Conservatives once understood the value of peace through strength. Ronald Reagan did not defeat the Soviet Union by flattering its leaders. Accepting their propaganda. He rebuilt American power, supported those resisting communist aggression, and made clear that the free world would not be intimidated.
That lesson still matters.
America does not need another endless war. We do need credibility. We need allies who trust us and enemies who believe our warnings.
Britain and France have taken a stand. America should stand with them and with the Ukrainian people. If Putin learns that threats cause the West to retreat, he will keep making them.
If he learns that threats strengthen our resolve, he may finally begin to understand that aggression has a price.
ENDNOTES
1. Peter King, “We will remain the leader of the free world,” Herald Community Newspapers, October 15, 2025, https://www.liherald.com/stories/peter-king-we-will-remain-the-leader-of-the-free-world,218056
2. “European leaders mark Ukraine’s 35th Independence Day as Russian invasion pushes on,” The Washington Times, August 24, 2026, https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/aug/24/european-leaders-marking-ukraines-35th-independence-day-russian/
3. “Britain’s giving Ukraine access to secret missile technology. Will it make a difference?” CNN, August 24, 2026, https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/24/asia/britain-ukraine-scalp-missile-technology-intl-hnk-ml
4. “‘Playing with fire’: Russia slams UK, France over Ukraine missile tech transfer,” South China Morning Post, August 27, 2026, https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3365470/russia-lashes-out-uk-france-over-ukraine-missile-technology-transfer
5. “Russia Warns UK It Is ‘Playing With Fire’ as CIA Chief Reportedly Warns Moscow Not To Attack NATO,” IBTimes UK, August 27, 2026, https://www.ibtimes.co.uk/russia-threatens-uk-military-support-ukraine-1816742
6. “Ukraine support after 4 years of war: Europe steps up,” Kiel Institute for the World Economy, 2026, https://www.kielinstitut.de/publications/news/ukraine-support-after-4-years-of-war-europe-steps-up/
Carolyn Spencer is a contributing writer for Direct Line News,
Direct Line News is a Maryland-based free-access publication committed to the Republican reform tradition.
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