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Sharing what we're thinking about, reading and doing Indivisibles,
It feels like a lot has happened since we first got the news late Thursday night of a full-blown Russian invasion of Ukraine and one of the largest invasions in Europe since World War II. Like you, we’ve been glued to the heartbreaking stories coming out of the region — from Ukrainian soldiers' defiant stand on Snake Island and President Volodymyr Zelensky’s unwavering heroism to reports of Russian anti-war protestors facing ominous threats by Vladimir Putin and countless ordinary Ukrainians fighting for their lives in the face of authoritarian Russian aggression.
As our friend Stephen Miles, President of Win Without War, put it on Friday: “…I fucking hate war. I hate everything about it. I hate the people who glorify it. And I hate people who don’t do everything they can to prevent it. War is death, it’s destruction, it’s pain, it’s suffering. I fucking hate it.”
Us too.
But here we are. So, today we want to talk to you about four things:
- How Russia’s inexcusable invasion of Ukraine fits into the broader context of the global decline of democracy;
- How what’s happening right now underscores the urgent need for green energy investment;
- Why we’re happy with President Biden’s leadership in this moment & what we want to continue to see from him; and
- What you can do right now.
The global rise of authoritarianism
If you missed The New York Times newsletter “The Morning” by German Lopez yesterday, we’d urge you to catch up now. It’s a great primer on how democracy is on the decline worldwide and how Putin is a big reason why.
For decades, Putin has been intent on consolidating his power and weakening democracy around the world. He intervened in the Syrian civil war to back Bashar al-Assad during a democratic uprising. Putin is the central force keeping authoritarian Alexander Lukashenko in power in Belarus even as his own people rise up to demand freedom. He deployed Russian troops to invade Georgia in 2008 and annexed the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. And he even interfered in our elections in 2016 and 2020 (along with those of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain).
These kinds of actions by Putin and other enemies of liberal democracy, coupled with insufficient pushback, have helped foster a global democratic decline. As noted in The New York Times piece and a new report from Freedom House, “Just one in five people now live in countries designated as ‘free,’ down from nearly one in two in 2005.”
Why?
Unchecked autocrats
Democracy has… declined globally because democratic leaders have done too little to stand up for themselves, the Freedom House report argued.
As is now clear, the world’s response to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula was not enough to deter Putin from going further. Even the sanctions imposed on Russia after its full assault on Ukraine this week stopped short of maximum punishment, sparing much of the Russian energy sector that Europe’s economy still relies on.
At the same time, autocratic governments have increasingly worked together, using their collective economic and political power to create a cushion against punishments from other governments. China approved Russian wheat imports this past week, effectively softening the impact of the West’s new sanctions.
All of these moves have shown other leaders with authoritarian aspirations what they can do as the liberal democratic order loses its sway.
In that context, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is part of a broader test: whether the global erosion of democracy will continue unchecked.
Read more from The New York Times
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Which brings us to point two:
Ukraine underscores the critical importance of green energy investment
Real talk: Russian oil is fueling the attacks on democracy around the world.
It’s not an accident that Putin decided to launch this invasion in a moment when gas prices are at record highs. Russia is a massive provider of oil and gas to the countries of the European Union. Sanctions that stop the export of Russian fuel will have immediate and dramatic consequences for all of Europe, and for global energy prices. Democracies are made up of politicians who have to seek reelection -- and a good way to lose reelection is to raise energy prices in your country.
Which means that, in response to sanctions on Russian oil and gas, fossil fuel companies are about to tell us a bunch of lies. They will tell us that they are the solution to the shortage caused by pivoting away from Russian oil and gas. But this is false: after all, these same companies have been taking advantage of consumers during the pandemic by artificially inflating prices in order to turn record profits. And they take advantage of crises like this to jack up prices even more, all while calling for less regulation and even more investment in fossil fuel infrastructure.
As long as Russia is a main source of energy for democracies, it will be hard to successfully impose multinational sanctions to hold Russia accountable. And as long as any of us are dependent on the fossil fuel cartel, it will be hard for democracies and our planet to thrive.
The energy crisis we are likely to see in Europe and around the world can become a justification for further expanding fossil fuel production. Or it can be an opportunity to rapidly build renewable energy infrastructure that will save our planet and reduce democracies’ reliance on authoritarian actors at the same time. We cannot continue to allow the fight against global fascism to be constrained by our dependence on gas and oil. The United States must use this moment as a catalyst to make necessary investments in addressing climate change and spurring green energy innovation to make us less reliant and safer in the long term.
Biden’s handled a bad situation well so far. Here’s what we want to keep seeing from the Administration in coming days
Unequivocally, we’re proud of President Biden for the actions he’s taken thus far and his ongoing commitment to a diplomatic resolution. He’s handled the crisis skillfully — raising the alarm early, steadily aligning allies behind a smart diplomatic strategy (and, in doing so, created a strong anti-authoritarian global alliance), and staying focused on avoiding escalation while holding Russia accountable.
It’s not hard to imagine where we’d be if Trump were still president (remember: Trump was impeached for the first time because of a phone call with Ukrainian President Zelensky where he threatened to withhold military aid to the country if Zelensky didn’t do him a “favor” and find dirt on Biden’s son Hunter — and just last week, Trump called Putin a genius).
The kind of leadership we’ve seen from Biden thus far is the kind of leadership we need to see continue. Over the coming days and weeks, we all should be looking for the Administration to:
- Pursue peace: President Biden must continue his focus on diplomacy to encourage Russia to cease its offensive.
- Hold aggressors accountable: The United States and our allies must continue ongoing and escalating sanctions targeting Putin and his oligarchs.
- Provide humanitarian assistance and relief to those impacted, including protections for Ukrainians in the United States: As of now, the United States has announced that we’re sending nearly $54 million in humanitarian aid. But, our responsibility doesn’t end there: we echo the calls of 177 organizations (PDF) demanding protection for Ukrainians currently in the US, as well as calls to support resettlement for those currently fleeing the country as refugees.
- Make urgent investments in green energy: This isn’t a silver bullet, but it is an important step in fighting back against authoritarian regimes like Putin’s.
What you can do right now
We wish that there was one singular thing we could tell you could do to immediately stop the violence unfolding in Ukraine. But we’d be lying. That said, as we just spent far too many words talking about, there are actions you can take right now to make a difference in how this fight unfolds:
- Donate to Ukrainian aid organizations helping people on the ground.
- Record a video telling President Biden you’re proud of his leadership & telling him you’ve got his back. Some politicians are using this moment to continue dividing the country and blaming the President for what’s happening in Ukraine. They’re wrong, and it’s important we counter it. Record a video and post it to social media to thank President Biden and encourage him to continue pursuing peace and diplomacy, holding aggressors accountable, and providing humanitarian assistance and relief to those impacted, including protections for Ukrainian immigrants in the United States. You can check out Ezra’s video here if you’re looking for inspiration.
- Write a letter to the editor telling your neighbors you’re proud of President Biden’s leadership on Ukraine thus far — and what you’re watching for as the crisis evolves.
We’ve been saying for years that the struggle for democracy is global. There are limited ways that we can personally help Ukraine, but the actions that we take to fight for a true and inclusive American democracy have ripple effects around the world. We know that we’re facing an assault on our freedoms, from voting rights and voter suppression to local attacks on schools teaching history and transgender kids. They’re all linked. And the fight is far from over.
There’s going to be lots more in the coming weeks about what more you can do. But for now, we’ll say this: there’s no one we’d rather be fighting for democracy alongside than you. Today, our hearts are with Ukraine, and with everyone engaged in this global fight against authoritarianism.
In solidarity,
Leah Greenberg
Co-Executive Director
Indivisible
P.S. Indivisibles and people everywhere are showing up to Ukraine solidarity events and vigils around the country. Just look at these hundreds of folks out in Concord, Massachusetts (h/t Indivisible Concord). If you’re holding or attending an event, tag us in your photos on Twitter (@IndivisibleTeam). We want to uplift you! 
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