Opinion/Cicilline: We need a united front against Putin

Rep. David N. Cicilline represents Rhode Island's 1st Congressional District.

Democracy is under threat around the world and a battle against authoritarianism is being waged by freedom-loving people everywhere.

Rhode Islanders have a long history of leadership in fighting for democracy and against tyranny and oppression. Earlier this month, we marked Rhode Island Independence Day, the anniversary of when Rhode Island became the first colony to declare our independence from King George III by passing the Rhode Island Act of Renunciation. During the Revolutionary War, the First Rhode Island Regiment became the first Black battalion in our nation’s military. Today, there are nearly 8,000 Rhode Island men and women serving in the military.

Now, the Ukrainian people need our support in their fight for democracy and sovereignty.

Since the February 24 start of his unprovoked, illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown he will stop at next to nothing in pursuit of his delusion to reconstitute the former Soviet Union.

We have seen the evidence of war crimes, including torture and murder – men, women, and children with their hands tied behind their backs and shot to death; elder Ukrainians executed while they searched for food; civilians confined to frigid hiding places dying from thirst; the partially burned bodies of women and girls who were victims of depraved acts of sexual violence.

We have seen the bombing of train stations, the attacks on humanitarian convoys, and the destruction and targeting of schools and other shelters that are housing scared and traumatized children.

Putin is presiding over a military that is losing on the battlefield, and in his refusal to admit defeat, is instead hoping to achieve his goals by unleashing horrors on civilians reminiscent of the darkest days of World War II or the breakup of Yugoslavia.

The civilized world cannot allow Putin to win and be rewarded for these barbaric acts.

The United States and our allies must continue to provide military and humanitarian aid, and we must continue to do so quickly and efficiently. We must ensure that Ukrainians on the front lines have the supplies and weaponry they need, when they need them. And we need to welcome Ukrainian refugees into this country with open arms, as they search for safety.

Ahead of the war, I traveled to Ukraine with the House Foreign Affairs Committee. During our visit, the Ukrainian people were very clear – they were prepared to fight for their country and would not let Putin win.

And then, at the beginning of March, just a week into Putin’s invasion, I traveled to the Polish-Ukraine border with some of my colleagues and saw firsthand the heartbreak and pain this war is causing – families ripped apart, children left orphaned, innocent Ukrainians forced to leave their entire lives behind.

But what I also saw was a people determined to defend their country and their democracy. A people willing to fight and die to defend their freedom.

Ukraine isn’t asking for Americans to give their lives for this cause – but they are asking for support as a partner in democracy. Beyond the humanitarian and moral cause before us, protecting Ukraine and defeating Putin is also critical in keeping all of Europe, and the West, safe from this illegal aggression. Make no mistake – if Ukraine falls, there is no doubt that Putin will set his sights on taking even more land to rebuild the lost USSR empire.

We cannot allow that to happen.

The House recently passed legislation to cut red tape, expediting the Biden administration’s delivery of vital weapons, ammunition, and equipment to Ukraine. We also need to make sure the president and his administration have the funding they need to continue these deliveries.

After my return to the United States from the Polish-Ukrainian border, I was joined by a bipartisan group of more than 60 of my colleagues in urging President Biden to build on the humanitarian efforts that were already underway by allowing for the expedited resettlement of Ukrainian refugees in the United States. Among other recommendations, we asked the administration to raise the cap on refugees allowed into the United States for Fiscal Year 2022 if it is necessary to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, ensure that Ukrainians are eligible for priority status, and reduce wait times on student visas. We welcomed the president’s announcement that the United States will welcome up to 100,000 Ukrainians who are fleeing Putin’s brutality and I have been inspired by the work here in Rhode Island to provide aid to Ukrainians overseas and welcome refugees once they arrive on our shores.

To defeat Putin, we need to present a united front – here at home and around the world. If we stand united with Ukraine, democracy can – and will – prevail.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Opinion/Cicilline: We need a united front against Putin