The situation in Ukraine has Ukrainians around the world watching in angst as Putin continues to send troops to Ukraine's border.

Per the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, Russia was to respect Ukraine's independence and borders in exchange for Ukraine's denuclearization, which took away their bargaining power with aggressors, this being a huge advantage for Putin's strategy to conquer Ukraine.

And as usual Russia's Putin did not abide by the Budapest Memorandum by taking Crimea in his crafty move by sending troops to Crimea to "protect" the Olympians. His intent from the start was to take Crimea. Unfortunately NATO, Europe, and the USA stood by and did nothing to protect Ukraine.

Yes, the U.S.A. sent arms, but they needed more ... world support.

Thousands of Ukrainians were killed fighting for their homeland. Ukraine now needs to be a member of NATO to have protection against Russia's aggression. As a footnote, Ukraine has never been an aggressor in its history. Ukraine has always been a defender of its borders.

Ukraine again has to defend its borders against hundreds of thousands of Russian troops! Ukrainians will die before submitting to Russia. Ukraine's only hope is that NATO, all of Europe and the U.S.A. will back their efforts to maintain their freedom and sovereignty.

The buck should stop at Ukraine; otherwise all former Soviet bloc nations will be next on Putin's list of countries to conquer and bring them back under his control.

Wake up NATO, Europe and USA! Is this what the world needs ... the return of a communist USSR?

Karen K. Sheptak,

Butler