March 5, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: Daniel Patrick Moynihan once famously said, “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But everyone is not entitled to their own facts.” His words resonate today.
Drive around downtown Lexington and you will see Ukrainian flags flying from people’s homes. They are supporting Ukraine following the Russian invasion and the huge loss of life. Places like Bucha have documented the torture and execution of civilians there.
Yet, our president now states that Ukraine started the war. He states that Zelenskyy is a dictator and chides Ukraine for not holding scheduled elections. He seems to forget that during World War II, Britain did not hold elections when the country was being bombed daily by the Germans.
Based upon Trump’s verbiage, I suspect we will stop providing Ukraine with weapons and aid to its civilians. Hopefully, the Europeans will step up, especially after the vice president has challenged their adherence to democracy and then met with the far-right AfD party in Germany without meeting with the German chancellor.
My career took me often to the Soviet Union. Because of the U.S. and its NATO allies, there were no European conflicts after 1968, the year the Soviets invade Czechoslovakia. And then President Reagan said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall”. It came down in 1989, and the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. Those were heady times. My little company had an office in Moscow. The Russians were so delighted with their new freedom. Then came the ex-KGB Putin with whom our president apparently wants to be buddies with. I long for the Ronald Reagan days.
DON HASFURTHER Lexington
