Ukraine has five years to turn battlefield survival into lasting independence

Ukraine finds itself on the precipice of a decisive five-year period that could define its future. As the country commemorates 35 years of independence, it must look back and forward with clarity. The journey resembles the Israelites' exodus from Egypt, leaving only five years before the harsh reality of the desert ahead. This stretch will test the nation's unity, resolve, and determination to remain free.

The internal and external threats are substantial, with Russia's refusal to accept Ukrainian independence and the bombardment of lies, exhaustion, disappointment, and fading hope. Ukraine must not lose sight of its past struggles, the price paid by its ancestors, and the sacrifices of those who fought and died for their freedom.

The collapse of the Soviet Union was a monumental geopolitical event, but it was also the result of centuries of struggle by Ukraine's ancestors. The failure to build strong institutions capable of protecting the economy, military, science, technology, and education has led to a clan-based oligarchic republic that has systematically undermined public trust and social cohesion.

The most tragic mistake was neglecting national defense and security, which ultimately made a bloody full-scale war possible. While concessions to Russia in the 1990s may have seemed necessary to avoid war, disarming on a massive scale, cutting military spending, and dividing the Black Sea Fleet were farsighted decisions that weakened Ukraine.

The citizens of Ukraine, who disarmed their military and lost strategic assets, did not simply buy time; they made themselves weaker. The next five years will be the hardest, demanding concentrated effort, unity, and determination to remain free.