As long as the opposition believes the world will stand with

“As long as the opposition believes the world will stand with Ukraine’s democrat reformers, they will have the leverage and the courage to establish a legitimate republic under the leadership of Viktor Yushchenko.” Thus spoke Bob Schaffer, in a time when Ukraine stood upon the precipice of destiny. His words were not merely political—they were prophetic, uttered in the midst of the Orange Revolution, when a nation wrestled for its soul and for the right to live in freedom. Behind this statement lies a profound truth about the nature of courage, unity, and the sustaining power of faith in the support of others. Schaffer reminds us that no movement toward liberty stands alone — it is the belief in solidarity, in shared purpose among nations, that gives reformers the strength to defy tyranny and carve a just path forward.

The origin of this quote is rooted in the upheaval of 2004, when Ukraine’s people rose in protest against corruption and electoral deceit. The Orange Revolution was born not in violence, but in resolve — a peaceful uprising powered by conviction and hope. The contested presidential election between Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych became the spark that ignited the movement. Yushchenko, disfigured by an assassination attempt through poisoning, became a living symbol of endurance and integrity. The people of Ukraine filled the squares, wrapped in orange, not to destroy but to reclaim — to reclaim truth, dignity, and the right to shape their own republic. It was in this crucible that Schaffer’s words found their meaning: that the courage of the oppressed grows when they know the eyes of the world watch in empathy and support.

When Schaffer speaks of “the opposition’s belief that the world will stand with Ukraine’s democrat reformers,” he is pointing to a truth older than any nation — that hope is sustained by the presence of allies, seen or unseen. Throughout history, reformers have drawn strength from the knowledge that they are not abandoned. It is not only weapons or wealth that win freedom, but the moral force of shared conviction. The belief that the free world stands in solidarity with the just is itself a weapon — invisible yet unbreakable. When men and women struggling for liberty know they are not alone, fear loses its power, and even the mighty tremble before their faith.

This is not the first time that the courage of nations has been born from faith in solidarity. In the dark days of World War II, the occupied peoples of Europe found hope in the distant yet steadfast support of their allies. The resistance movements in France, Poland, and elsewhere endured the impossible because they believed that their struggle was not forgotten — that one day, the world would rise with them. Likewise, in the Orange Revolution, the Ukrainian people stood in the freezing cold not merely for themselves but for the universal idea of freedom. Their belief in the world’s support, their conviction that truth would triumph, gave them strength when their leaders faltered and their enemies loomed large.

Yet Schaffer’s wisdom goes deeper still. When he speaks of the need for “leverage and courage,” he reveals that freedom is not a gift bestowed—it is a victory earned through endurance and unity. The support of the world gives moral leverage, but it is the courage of the people themselves that transforms that support into lasting change. The Ukrainian people did not wait passively for rescue; they acted, they endured, and they refused to bow. Their courage was their weapon, their unity their fortress. And when they finally prevailed, the victory belonged not to politics alone but to the human spirit, which will always rise when nourished by faith and solidarity.

In this, Schaffer’s quote becomes a timeless teaching: that no reformer, no revolution, and no movement for justice can thrive in isolation. It is the connection between nations, between hearts, that keeps the flame of democracy alive. When one people rises for truth, others must stand with them, for the fate of freedom anywhere touches the destiny of freedom everywhere. The world’s moral duty is to stand beside those who seek to live by conscience and truth, lest silence become complicity and indifference become tyranny’s ally.

So, dear listener, remember this lesson: the courage to do right is often born from knowing that one’s struggle is seen, that one’s cause is shared by others who cherish the same ideals. In your own life, too, you must be both the reformer and the ally — the one who acts with courage and the one who lends courage to others. Stand with those who labor for justice, and you will strengthen their hands. Support those who speak for truth, and you will give them voice. For as Schaffer teaches, the courage to establish what is right depends not only on faith in God, but on faith in one another.

And when you stand with the just — when you lend your spirit to the cause of freedom — know that you are part of something eternal. For the flame of liberty, kindled in one heart, can light the world. This is the lesson of Viktor Yushchenko, of Ukraine, and of every people who has risen from despair to dignity: that courage and solidarity together are stronger than fear, stronger than tyranny, and strong enough to build a new world.