It’s been a week since the NATO summit in Turkey, and a Syracuse native has been looking at what the outcomes mean for Ukraine as the war with Russia drags on. Freelance journalist Mark Temnycky said international support and Ukraine’s standing on the global stage continue to grow despite the U.S. pulling nearly all financial and military aid.
He said other countries in the alliance are filling the gap with billions of dollars in military equipment, training, and other resources. The freelance senior geopolitics editor at Forbes says the tide is shifting in Ukraine’s favor.
“Not only does Ukraine have the capabilities to defend itself, but also now it's no longer this image where when the war started four years ago, Ukraine was somewhat seen as a country that was begging and asking for weapons," Temnycky said. "Now Ukraine is actually being even viewed by NATO as a contributor to defense on the European continent, which is very, very significant.”
Still, Ukraine has not been invited to join NATO. But Temnycky said Ukraine continues to expand relations with other countries, especially in the Middle East.
“Eighty countries around the world are supporting Ukraine and over 120 plus countries in the United Nations are saying that the war is wrong and even some of Russia's supporters like China have also provided humanitarian aid or medical aid to the Ukrainians. So this further strengthens Ukraine's image.”
It comes at a time when the U.S. war against Iran adds to the instability in the Middle East. Temnycky said Ukraine has signed agreements with a half dozen countries threatened by Iran, after years of building up its drone defenses.
“President Zelenskyy made the decision, well, Ukraine has a very good background of using drones to defend not only against Russian missile attacks and Russian drones, but also Shahed drones that the Russians purchased from Iran," he said. "So they're very familiar with these capabilities.”
Ukraine could further expand its defenses after President Trump said during the summit that he’d consider giving Ukraine a license to build Patriot missile interceptors. But he says that process could take years, as the country remains mired in war.
Temnycky was born and educated in Syracuse. He holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and a Master of Arts Degree in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in History, with Departmental Honors, from Le Moyne College. Temnycky joins Loyola University in Chicago next month as an adjunct professor of public policy.
