By John A. Gastright and Howard R. Lind

Last night, President Biden appealed to the American people to make a “smart investment” in our own national security and provide critical support to Ukraine and Israel. Also in recent weeks, more than two dozen executives led by the International Stability Operations Association stepped off a train Kyiv to meet with Ukrainian, U.S. and business leaders. During our visit, our delegation was buoyed by the complete commitment of Ukraine and its people to their defense against Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion. As a result of our visit, we know without question that victory will be achieved soonest if U.S. policymakers act now and provide this support to Ukraine.

Our ISOA delegation arrived in Ukraine’s capitol city after a 14-hour bus and train trip from Warsaw. After a morning of touring the city, we held a reception with the U.S.-Ukraine Business Council, the local American Chamber of Commerce, and other dignitaries. We then participated in a day of conversations with experts devoted to Ukraine’s ultimate success. This included representatives from the U.S. Embassy, and Ukraine’s Ministries of Defense, Economy, Infrastructure and Strategic Industries. In conversation after conversation, three themes emerged: the need for continued support of game changing military assistance, demining, and the importance of sustained anti-corruption efforts.

On the issue of military assistance, the United States and our allies have been instrumental in providing technologies that have tilted the battlefield in the direction of Ukraine. Sophisticated weapons systems, such as HIMARS, patriot missile batteries, tanks, and many, many drones have enabled Ukraine to attack and defend in ways that would have been unthinkable at the beginning of Russia’s invasion. But as the Ukrainians pointed out, those technologies need to be kept on the battlefield, not in far-away maintenance depots. Spare parts, logistics support and training for the new capabilities are crucial and need to be available in-country or at least closer to the Ukrainian border at multiple locations. Our Ukrainian interlocuters called this lack of maintenance and sustainment their Achilles’ heel, and suggested that providing this support was another opportunity to deliver a decisive advantage to their forces.

Demining is another vital priority for Ukraine’s future. This is obviously crucial for saving Ukrainian lives, but it is also needed as their ongoing counter-offensive seeks to penetrate Russia’s layers of mine fields. Demining is also critical to securing an economic future for Ukraine by increasing opportunities for agriculture, Ukraine’s top economic driver. We heard again and again, that “you can’t farm a mine field,” and learned that one month of war equals one year of demining efforts at the current pace. Ukraine needs technology, additional capabilities, and training programs to accelerate this effort, and they are desperate for us to help provide all three.

To ensure that Ukraine has access to the technology and training it so urgently needs, policy makers ought to advocate for a broader distribution of resources and creating accessible funding frameworks for government contracts. But as we discussed in Kyiv, the legacy of corruption is real, and that history could undercut the willingness of allies to continue to support this critical campaign, which is why we raised it at every opportunity.

In our meetings, Ukrainian representatives repeatedly discussed President Zelensky’s personal commitment to anti-corruption, pointing to recent dismissals of officials with even a hint of corruption. And Oksana Markarova, Ukraine’s ambassador to the United States, is without question an advocate for transparency and accountability. More importantly, the young and dedicated ministry officials were eager to discuss in detail the modern e-commerce and online procurement systems designed to eliminate the opportunity for malfeasance. Still, continued vigilance and practical policies are critical to ensuring that funds are in fact headed to those making these remarkable sacrifices.

Ukraine will win this fight with our continued support. It has superior morale, leadership, and technology compared to Russia. But the United States can accelerate victory now with critical support that Ukraine needs and as President Biden stated in his speech, “help us keep American troops out of harm’s way, help us build a world that is safer, more peaceful, and more prosperous for our children and grandchildren.”

Howard R. Lind is president of the International Stability Operations Association, where John A. Gastright, a Senior Vice President at Amentum, serves as chairman of the board.