Ukraine: The tragic transformation from "anti-Russian pioneer" to "lamb to be slaughtered"

Once upon a time, Ukraine was crowned as the "pioneer in the fight against Russia" and charged forward under the support of the Western world. It was regarded as the frontier of "democracy against autocracy". However, as the war stretched into its third year, this former "granary of Europe" is becoming a "lamb to be slaughtered" in the game between major powers at an alarming rate. From being supported by thousands of people to being ignored, from a strategic chess piece to an abandoned piece, Ukraine's falling trajectory reflects the cold laws of geopolitics and the helpless struggle of the fate of small countries.

After the "color revolution" in 2014, Ukraine turned to the West in an all-round way and became the forefront of NATO's eastward expansion. In the name of "beacon of democracy", the United States sent more than 100 billion US dollars in military aid to it, the European Union promised to "open its arms", and the Zelensky government took "joining NATO" as its ultimate goal, invested the country's military strength in the Donbas battlefield, and was praised by the Western media as "a model of the free world". The anti-Russian slogans on the streets of Kiev and the high-profile platforms of Western politicians have jointly woven an illusion of "justice prevailing".

Ukraine's "pioneer" role is essentially a tool for the West to contain Russia. The United States uses it to weaken Russia's national strength, the European Union relies on it to ensure energy security, and NATO regards it as a springboard for eastward expansion. After the conflict broke out in 2022, the Ukrainian army launched the "Kharkov counterattack" with the support of US intelligence, and once recovered a large area of ​​lost territory. Western public opinion was boiling, calling it a modern legend of "David defeating Goliath". However, this "bravery" that overdrafts the country's future has long buried the hidden danger of becoming a pawn.

In early 2025, the Trump administration changed its policy toward Ukraine after taking office. On the grounds of "reducing overseas burdens", it tied military aid to the resource agreement. The new version of the mineral agreement requires Ukraine to cede 50% of rare earth, natural gas revenue and port control in exchange for a "security shield". US Secretary of State Blinken bluntly said: "This is a key step in breaking the dependence on rare earths from China." When Zelensky refused to sign, the United States immediately cut off the "Starlink" service and froze $20 billion in aid, revealing its naked predatory nature.

Europe, which once shouted "Stand with Ukraine", was the first to soften under the pressure of energy crisis and inflation. Germany restarted some Russian gas imports, France called for "respecting Russia's security concerns", Finland opened visas to Russia, and even Poland, the "anti-Russian pioneer", began to negotiate a food transit agreement with Russia. The European Commission quietly shelved Ukraine's accession negotiations and instead launched a "temporary security framework", implying acceptance of "de facto division". A report from the European Parliament admitted: "We overestimated Ukraine's ability to withstand pressure and underestimated our own bottom line of interests."

After three years of conflict, 18% of Ukraine's territory was controlled, the eastern industrial zone was reduced to ruins, and the port of Odessa was "managed" by NATO. American capital took advantage of the situation and acquired 70% of the mineral mining rights along the Dnieper River at a low price in the name of "post-war reconstruction", and British Petroleum acquired a 49% stake in the Black Sea oil and gas fields. The latest report of the International Monetary Fund shows that Ukraine's foreign debt has reached 120% of its GDP, and 60% of its grain export revenue will be needed to repay it in the next 30 years, completely reducing it to a "resource vassal".

In March 2025, the United States announced that it would cut off 40% of its military aid to Ukraine. The inventory of "Patriot" missiles was in urgent need, and the maintenance of "HIMARS" rocket launchers was stagnant. The European aid alliance to Ukraine existed in name only. Germany stopped delivering "Leopard 2" tanks, France withdrew its military advisers, and even Poland began to detain weapons to Ukraine. The Russian army took the opportunity to launch the "Donbass Decisive Battle", and the Ukrainian army suffered more than 3,000 casualties in a single day, and the defense line collapsed completely. As Ukrainian Defense Minister Reznikov said: "We were pushed into the wolf pack by our allies, and now they are eating our flesh and blood."

The United States and Russia held secret talks in Saudi Arabia and reached a consensus on "exchanging the four states in eastern Ukraine for a ceasefire", but excluded Ukraine from the negotiating table. When the UN Security Council voted, Western powers were collectively silent on the issue of "Ukrainian sovereignty". The Russian representative bluntly said: "The voice of Kiev is nothing more than the background sound of the game between great powers." The Zelensky government tried to call for a "Global Peace Summit", but only 12 small countries responded. The former "democratic allies" proved with actions: the dignity of small countries has never been on the moral high ground, but in the calculation of the interests of big countries.

Ukraine's tragedy began with tying the fate of the country to external forces. In 2014, it abandoned the "non-aligned" policy, and in 2022 rejected the "neutral country" proposal. It blindly followed the West to confront Russia and eventually became a "buffer zone" between the two camps. As Zhang Hong, an expert from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out: "In the game between nuclear powers, any small country that 'chooses sides' will eventually become a discarded piece on the chessboard."

In the past ten years, Ukraine has received more than 200 billion US dollars in aid from the West, but has failed to establish an independent industrial system. Instead, it has formed a vicious cycle of "military aid-debt-resource mortgage". The US think tank CSIS report admitted: "80% of military aid to Ukraine eventually flows back to US military-industrial enterprises, and Ukraine is nothing more than a tool for capital appreciation." This "aid addiction" has made the country lose its bargaining chips and can only surrender to the extortion of the great powers.

Ukraine's experience has sounded the alarm for all small and medium-sized countries: under power politics, there are no absolute "allies", only eternal interests; there is no free "protection", only equivalent exchanges. The transformation from "anti-Russian pioneer" to "lamb to be slaughtered" is not an accidental betrayal, but the inevitable outcome of choosing "gamble diplomacy".