Opinion: Russian aggression in Ukraine hits close to Michigan

As the Russian government continues its buildup of troops along the Ukrainian border, many Americans are rightfully asking what is at stake for them. What does this flagrant aggression by Russian President Vladimir Putin mean for ordinary Americans? What does a conflict 5,000 miles away mean to Americans hustling to put food on the table and a roof over their heads?

Those are reasonable and understandable concerns. But it would be a mistake to think that blatant violations of international law by Putin are not matters that impact them.

And unfortunately, for Michigan resident Paul Whelan and his family, that aggression has hit close to home.

Whelan has been imprisoned in a former Russian gulag for over three years. Whelan was attending the wedding of a friend in Moscow when he was detained on Dec. 28, 2018.

He was later convicted in a sham trial on charges of espionage and sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Whelan is not being held at an ordinary prison. No, to make an example of Whelan, the Russian government has ordered him to carry out his 16-year sentence alongside murderers and thieves at IK-17, a high-security prison camp that is an eight-hour drive southeast of Moscow. The isolation and harsh conditions are meant to break his spirit and to thwart visits by international diplomatic personnel.

His continued detention, now more than 1,150 days, is unacceptable — and he must be released.

I’ve been grateful for all the diplomatic efforts geared toward securing Whelan's release — and I’ve appreciated that Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden have brought up Whelan’s unjust detention with their Russian counterparts.

I’ll continue working with the administration to press for Whelan's return home to Michigan. For the past three years, Whelan's family has become better acquainted with the United States government than they could have ever imagined. Their ceaseless work in attempting to free Whelan is a testament to their dedication and fidelity to family.

The Whelan family never imagined that Paul would spend so many days, so far from home, at the mercy of Putin and the world he represents. One where the rule of law is something to be laughed at. Where the rights of free citizens means nothing to their governments.

Whelan’s detention represents what so many Russians, Ukrainians and others know all too well. That Putin will do whatever he pleases to accomplish his goals. He has no regard for international law nor for common decency.

Whether it’s the lives of Ukrainians in the eastern region of the country, political opponents like Alexei Navalny who dare call for basic human rights or ordinary people like Whelan, Putin has no qualms with harming whomever gets in his way.

What signal would it send to the world — to the Russian people or to Putin himself — if America was silent in the face of unprovoked aggression? What would it mean if America and her allies stood by and watched Ukraine be swallowed up by a dictator’s dreams of an empire?

America has long been a beacon of democracy and freedom for oppressed people around the world. And the American people know that an attack on liberty anywhere is an attack on liberty everywhere.

To stand with Ukraine is to stand for democratic principles in the face of autocratic aggression. To stand with Ukraine is to stand for the right of free people everywhere who want a voice in their government. And in Michigan, folks know that to stand with Ukraine is to stand for ordinary Americans like Paul Whelan.

Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, is a U.S. senator from Michigan.