Barack Obama Says Ukraine War Is ‘Far From Over’

The former president says US support for Ukraine must remain 'strong, steadfast, and sustained'

Former President Barack Obama said in a speech at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on Friday that the war in Ukraine is “far from over.”

“Make no mistake, this war is far from over. The costs will continue to mount,” Obama said. “The costs will continue to mount, the course of events … are hard to predict.”

US and NATO officials have been warning that the Western powers should be prepared to support Ukraine in its war against Russia for a long time.

Ukrainian officials have also said they’re expecting a long battle as their goals are to drive Russia out of Ukrainian territory even as Moscow continues to make gains and Kyiv is taking heavy losses.

Obama added that US support for Ukraine “must remain strong, steadfast and sustained until this conflict reaches a resolution.”

The current crisis in Ukraine can be traced back to 2014 when the Obama administration backed the ouster of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych. The coup resulted in Russia taking Crimea and the separatists in the Donbas declaring independence from Kyiv, which sparked a war in the region.

Obama backed Ukraine in its war against the Donbas separatists, although he was hesitant to send weapons to Kyiv. That policy was changed by President Trump, who authorized the first US shipment of Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.