The bloody, ruthless assault on Ukraine by Vladimir Putin and his Russian conscripts over the past week has shocked and horrified the world. But it should also serve to strengthen the commitment to a united front among Americans, our European allies and pro-democracy forces across the globe. It also underlines the urgency for our own nation to confront and defeat Putin’s domestic comrades here in the US, led by the disgraced loser of the last presidential election.

It’s never been more clear that Trump and his sycophants in the party formerly known as the GOP have been at best stooges and at worst active accomplices in Putin’s sustained, years-long campaign to undermine pro-democracy forces in the west. Trump relentlessly ridiculed the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and threatened an American withdrawal from the group— the very alliance that has served as a bulwark against Soviet- and now Putin-led aggression.

Trump’s threats to withhold military aid to Ukraine unless their young president Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to probe fabricated “misdeeds” by his chief opponent got him impeached, but not convicted. But it’s obvious that Trump and his cronies were in cahoots with Zelensky’s enemy in the Kremlin and sought to exploit a vulnerable young democracy to advance Trump’s narrow political objective.

Those obscene overtures failed. Zelensky, in a preview of what the world can now see is a deep vein of courage and leadership, dodged the bully’s bluff. And yet, can we ever know for certain how Trump’s four years of meddling and sabotage prepped the battleground for Putin to perpetrate his atrocities on the people of Kyiv and Kharkiv and Odessa?

Yes, Putin is a cold-blooded thug and his murderous lunge at his valiant, but less equipped neighbor will relegate him to the lowest rung on history’s ladder of ignominy. But, Putin is a former KGB agent turned dictator who imprisons and kills his opponents and seeks to crush neighboring nations into subjugation. He’s never been anything other than an adversary to American interests. Only those who have a rooting interest in injuring our American republic and our allies have ever day-dreamed about courting his good graces.

How, then, shall we account for the traitors among us who give aid and comfort to Putin, even as he slaughters our allies and callously brandishes the sabre of a nuclear exchange with the west? Will we spend another day, week, month or year turning the other cheek as Trumpist extremists turn their full attention to undermining our elections? Should we pretend not to hear Trump and his sad sack coterie of Congressional turn-coats root on the Russian hordes as they roll slowly into infamy?

One might hope that the horrors of the last week that have befallen the people of Ukraine might give pause to the MAGA voter. How can they watch cluster bombs fall on innocents and think: “I’m sticking with Putin and Trump on this one?”

As we impose strict and swift sanctions on Russia’s banks and oligarchs— a necessary device to counter Putin’s aggression— should not reasonable people ask aloud: Where are the sanctions for the treasonous actions of America’s former commander-in-chief? Just as Putin’s criminal assault on Ukraine must be brought to heel, there must be a reckoning in our own land for those who laid the groundwork for this villainous war of aggression.

Bill Forry is the editor and publisher of the Dorchester Reporter.