Four Years of Terror, Four Years of Bravery
A look back at Ukraine’s fight for freedom.
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Ariane de Gennaro is a communications intern at the Renew Democracy Initiative and an incoming JD candidate at Harvard Law School. She previously wrote for the Yale Daily News and worked in the office of Senator Mazie Hirono.
Today marks four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022. In that time, thousands of Ukrainians have been killed, children abducted, cities destroyed, and critical energy infrastructure decimated. 2025 has been a particularly bloody year, with mounting casualties and, under President Trump’s second term, flagging American will and a renewed push to accommodate Vladimir Putin.
From the very first day of the full-scale invasion, the Renew Democracy Initiative—publisher of The Next Move—has worked to help our friends on the frontlines of freedom, rallying support in the United States, sharing Ukrainians’ stories, and delivering millions of dollars of humanitarian assistance to communities in Ukraine.
We’d like to take this moment to highlight some of our most important commentary and work on Ukraine. Yet as we reflect on the past, let’s remember: the war is not over— Ukraine still needs sustained and resolute support in order to win.
I Survived the Bucha Massacre
Ukrainian journalist Olya Bilan provides a firsthand account of the Russian invasion and occupation of her hometown of Bucha and her family’s fight to survive. Western leaders speak of compromise and consider ceding territory without considering the lives of the people on the land they trade. By contrast, Bilan’s testimony is a stark reminder of the human stakes of this war and the lives behind the headlines.
Don’t Fear Being Right
Earlier this month, RDI Founder Garry Kasparov delivered a powerful call to action at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York City: don’t fear being right. He spoke about the importance of clearly defending our principles, pursuing victory, and confidently separating right from wrong in the fight against authoritarianism. Garry reminds us that Ukraine stands at the frontline of this struggle, and that we owe it to Ukrainians and ourselves to support their efforts not with empty words, but with tangible military, political, and moral support.
If Ukrainians Were Dolphins
RDI’s Jay Nordlinger riffs on a 1993 essay that provocatively asked: “If the Bosnian Muslims had been bottle-nosed dolphins, would the world have allowed Croats and Serbs to slaughter them by the tens of thousands?” In other words, why does the free world, so quick to rally around certain causes, so often fail to show the same urgency for human beings facing cruelty, tyranny, and war? In this incisive piece, Jay confronts Western apathy toward Ukrainian suffering, cataloguing Russia’s ongoing atrocities and challenging readers to examine their own numbness. The result is a moral indictment of indifference, and a reminder that Ukraine’s fight is not abstract, but human, urgent, and deserving of far greater resolve.
In Ukraine, Renew Democracy Initiative is Matching Words with Action
In an interview with Kyiv Post, journalist Jason Jay Smart spoke with Renew Democracy Initiative CEO Uriel Epshtein about the organization’s work in Ukraine, from advocacy efforts to delivering millions of dollars in humanitarian aid to communities on the ground. The conversation highlights RDI’s dual mission: fighting the information war in Washington and Western capitals while also providing tangible, on-the-ground support to Ukrainians living closest to the frontlines.
RDI is continuing to bring material assistance to Ukrainians who most need it. As of 2026, we have delivered $15 million in dual-use humanitarian aid to Ukraine, providing concrete necessities such as water filtration units, generators, sleeping bags, and MREs (meals ready to eat). At the end of last year, RDI delivered 150 New Year’s presents to children undergoing treatment at a Kharkiv oncology clinic. Most recently RDI supplied chemical heaters to help families endure the winter amid a severe energy and heating crisis.
We urge you to join us in standing for Ukrainian victory. The war is not over. The fight for Ukraine is the fight for freedom around the world.
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