Putin is an autocrat, and all autocrats have Achilles’ heels. One of these weaknesses is a post-truth political structure. The autocrat becomes confident and grows in pride, and his cronies tell him only what they think he wants to hear. As a result of this misinformation and his own hubris, Putin’s judgments about Ukraine were wrong, terribly wrong, and Russian soldiers and their families are paying the price.
Much has been written about the extraordinary courage and fighting skills of the Ukrainian armed forces. Putin and his national security advisors expected that their invading forces would face little resistance, that President Zelensky and his colleagues would flee the country, and that the West would not be united enough or strong enough to support Ukraine’s defense. These were three major miscalculations – three strikes against the Russian team’s leadoff hitters, with more miscalculations to follow.
Media reports on the achievements of the Ukrainian armed forces are generally accurate, but there are so many other remarkable aspects of this struggle that should be told. The Ukrainian people are also the heroes in this story. Zelensky knows this. On March 14, the Ukrainian Volunteer Day, he said: “Ukraine is grateful to everyone who felt it was time to become a warrior. Ukraine is proud of all those who win for our state. Ukraine will always remember all its heroes who gave their lives for freedom. . . Ukrainian volunteers, at the call of their hearts, stood up to defend the independence of our state.”
Can you imagine Putin speaking like this to the Russian people? The differences between these two countries and their governing structures, the relationships between the people and the leaders, and the trust that holds the countries together are radically different. This helps explain why the Ukrainians are winning this war.
One important dimension of the difference between Ukraine and Russia is the issue of trust. As I wrote in an earlier essay, I was told when I started working in Moscow in 1990 that in Russia “nothing is at it seems.” Russia is a low trust society, and this reality has shaped much of its existence, from the Romanov dynasty through the 70 years of Communist Party rule.
Ukraine inherited part of this negative Soviet legacy but has gone through remarkable changes in the last twenty years, following the painful experiences of the Orange Revolution of 2004 and the Revolution of Dignity in 2013-14. If you are unfamiliar with these events, my recent essays on these two critical struggles and how they impacted Ukraine’s development may provide helpful context.
In stark contrast to Russia (and even to our country and some democracies in western Europe), the results of a recent survey in Ukraine reported the following percentages of trust: in the Ukrainian armed forces (96%), in its volunteers - including many Christians and non-profit organizations (88%), in President Zelensky (83%), and in the Security Service of Ukraine (74%).
One example of many that I could share is the work of Christian educational institutions in Ukraine. ScholarLeaders International, together with Overseas Council, has worked closely with seminary presidents and their staffs at schools which BEAM, Inc., has supported through its private foundation, where I serve as CEO. Over the past year, they have mobilized $1.8 million for humanitarian aid in Ukraine. This has benefitted more than 400,000 people -- or 10% of the country’s internally displaced people (IDPs).
In addition, these seminaries have created centers (“hubs”) that have evacuated more than 11,000 people during the first year of the war and moved them to safer locations. This involved thousands of trips by seminary faculty, staff, and students to transfer 2-5 people per trip. They have offered residences to more than 7,000 people and have distributed almost 4,000 tons of food and medical supplies. They have also supplied 30 generators and power stations to seminaries and a few churches to allow them to operate and supply heat to many who were left in the cold when Russian missile attacks cut off their electrical power.
Another example from Ukraine’s educational network is the work of Ukrainian Catholic University, located in Lviv. I have visited this impressive school twice and have followed the work of its faculty, staff, and students who have joined in the effort to help the vulnerable caught in the middle of the conflict between invading Russian forces and Ukrainian defenders. The Catholic Church provides aid through Catholic Relief Services, the relief organization of the U. S. Catholic Bishops, together with Caritas Internationals, a Vatican-sponsored aid program, and works with the university to provide shelter, hot meals, hygiene supplies, counseling, and transportation for the displaced. Again, more heroes, quietly serving their country and building its sense of unity and its passion for freedom and independence.
There are many other volunteer organizations that are committed to helping their country survive this attack. One example is Mission Eurasia, a faith-based ministry that BEAM, Inc., has supported for years. Its staff developed a program to build and distribute 2,000 stoves built by displaced workers to help those who lost power for heating and cooking. They also supported the establishment of bakeries that make bread for the hungry, bakeries where orphan kids are taught job skills and shown how to serve their neighbors. Now they are sponsoring 20 mobile kitchens that can feed up to 300 people per day. Mission Eurasia and other Christian organizations are working hard to be the presence of Jesus in the middle of this war, and all these volunteers serving the needy and vulnerable could use our support.
Supporting programs like these will give you access to information directly from Ukraine that will describe the realities of daily life that face our friends under attack by Russian troops. Media reports on the war don’t tell the full story of what it is like to struggle for survival against a brutal autocratic regime. There are so many heroes, working tirelessly in service to their country and each other – and they need our support.