What Exactly Does ‘I Support Ukraine’ Mean?

Since the irritable, sweatshirt-clad Ukrainian president met with President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance in the Oval Office last Friday, social media has been filled with profile pictures proclaiming, “I stand with Ukraine” and “Slava Ukraini.“

What do posters truly mean by “standing with Ukraine”? Are they intending to offer their own funds to support Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his war efforts? Or do they intend for other people to pony up their money, supporting “Ukrainian elites’ lavish lifestyles”?

Are they volunteering themselves, their children, or their grandchildren to take up arms in Ukraine as part of the security guarantees insisted upon by Zelenskyy and the European (EU) leadership? Or do they expect other children to fight in the war? When EU President Ursula von der Leyen was asked if her own children were in the military, she laughed and replied, "nein, nein.“

Or is it merely virtue signaling, reminiscent of other social media profiles that support masks, distancing, and COVID vaccines?

Regardless of one’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war and its origins, what does “Glory to Ukraine” look like in early 2025?

Did Russia invade Ukraine without provocation? Or has the West been provoking Russia since 1990, when U.S. Secretary of State James Baker promised Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that NATO would expand, “not one inch eastward,” if Gorbachev followed Ronald Reagan’s demand to “tear down that wall”?

Here we are, three years into a seemingly endless war. Trump claims that America has spent $350 billion on it, while others suggest that the amount is lower. Regardless, it remains a substantial sum for a country facing $2 trillion annual deficits.

What about the lives of soldiers lost – devastating wives, children, and families? Who stands with them? Low estimates suggest deaths of “one million Russian soldiers and 700,000 Ukrainian troops.“

Corporate media, Democrats, and social media virtue signalers were appalled by the recent Oval Office meeting. But what exactly is their plan to end the war? Or do they actually want the war to persist?

Does Zelenskyy want an end to the war? He had a favorable deal that he agreed to before his confrontation in the Oval Office, where the televised meeting primarily served as a ceremony. US mineral rights suggested American workers on the ground in Ukraine, acting as a deterrent to Russian aggression, effectively a “security guarantee“ without US troops present.

Zelenskyy now asserts that the war’s conclusion is “still very, very far away.” So, what’s the plan, Stan?

Those who complain about Trump’s approach have yet to present an alternative plan. Is the alternative to continue the current strategy, borrowing from China or printing a few hundred billion more dollars for Ukraine – half of which may go unaccounted for, as Zelenskyy claimed? And will there be another million young men dead?

Or will we cut and run, as we did in Vietnam, Iraq, or Afghanistan, leaving behind an economic and humanitarian disaster? What alternatives do the warmongering neocons in Congress propose to Trump’s plan to end the war and stop the carnage?

What happened to “make love, not war” and “give peace a chance," chanted by the 1960s hippies who are now in senior U.S. leadership positions, criticizing Trump, promoting war, and “standing with Ukraine”?

Despite early predictions of Ukraine’s victory, the war endures. Trump campaigned on the promise of ending the conflict and is undoubtedly making efforts. What actions did his predecessor take, or fail to take?

Grok answered, “Biden did speak to Putin during the lead-up to the Ukraine war, but there is no confirmed direct communication between them after the invasion began, based on available public records as of March 4, 2025.”

Before Trump was even inaugurated, voters believed he would be more effective in the war effort. According to Rasmussen Reports, “Forty-three percent (43%) of voters believe President-elect Donald Trump’s policy regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine will be better than Biden’s policy, while 37% think Trump’s policy will be worse.”

Americans are divided on Ukraine, not supporting Russia, but regarding the ongoing war efforts. A CBS News poll found that “52% of respondents said they backed Ukraine in its fight against Russia, 44% were neutral, and 4% of respondents outwardly backed Russia.”

Fortunately, Zelenskyy woke up after his thrashing in the Oval Office and is “ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer.” Hallelujah!

Returning to the original question, what does standing with Ukraine entail? This isn't about social media virtue signalling; it's about the U.S. government's commitment.

What is the plan for Ukrainian victory? What is the endgame? How will the war conclude?  How much money will American taxpayers continue to spend on a war effort that, after three years, has shown little for it? Are we prepared to send young American soldiers to fight, many of whom may suffer injuries or death?

Platitudes won’t end the war unless that’s not the objective. Meanwhile, we elected a president who promised to end the war and is making far more effort than President Biden, Congress, or other world leaders. Supporting Ukraine means stopping the carnage, not just displaying blue and yellow flags.

Those who criticize the loudest have no proposals of their own. Criticizing and complaining is easy; the hard work lies in negotiating a deal. Trump is trying to do that. His detractors are merely throwing stones, lacking their own ideas.

Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., is a physician and writer.

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