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No sane American is eager for a hot war between the United States and its allies and Russia over a potentially imminent invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin’s forces. Yet even as President Joe Biden talks up the prospect of imposing debilitating economic sanctions, he rushes additional arms to the Ukrainians and weighs deploying thousands of troops to send a signal to the troops amassed on the border of the former Soviet republic.
Sanctions, even sanctions on steroids as Biden has promised, are an imperfect answer to Russian aggression; the current standoff is proof enough that the fiscal punishment imposed in 2014 by President Obama after Russia seized Crimea had a negligible effect in deterring future mischief. But sanctions — ideally, imposed in concert with other nations, in a strong show of international discipline — are far, far, far preferable to a fateful military conflict with a country that, whatever its weaknesses, boasts a million-strong active-duty soldiers and about 250,000 reserves.
Russian expansionism is a grave threat to global stability, just as a Chinese encroachment into Taiwan would be. We are old enough to remember the justifiable outrage when Donald Trump, in his “perfect” phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tried to make the delivery of congressionally authorized military aid contingent on the government dirtily ordering up an investigation into Hunter Biden. Ukraine should be able to defend itself against Russia because it is a sovereign nation, full stop.
Someday Ukraine may, much to Putin’s consternation, join NATO, in which case a territorial incursion would indeed trigger additional commitments by other members of the alliance. But that is unlikely to be the case anytime soon.
There are no good options. But the worst outcome would be U.S. troops backing or blundering into an unwanted war with a major power. Try to deter Russian expansionism; punish it if it comes to pass. Don’t slide into an armed conflict costing hard-to-fathom blood and treasure.
Sanctions, even sanctions on steroids as Biden has promised, are an imperfect answer to Russian aggression; the current standoff is proof enough that the fiscal punishment imposed in 2014 by President Obama after Russia seized Crimea had a negligible effect in deterring future mischief. But sanctions — ideally, imposed in concert with other nations, in a strong show of international discipline — are far, far, far preferable to a fateful military conflict with a country that, whatever its weaknesses, boasts a million-strong active-duty soldiers and about 250,000 reserves.
Russian expansionism is a grave threat to global stability, just as a Chinese encroachment into Taiwan would be. We are old enough to remember the justifiable outrage when Donald Trump, in his “perfect” phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, tried to make the delivery of congressionally authorized military aid contingent on the government dirtily ordering up an investigation into Hunter Biden. Ukraine should be able to defend itself against Russia because it is a sovereign nation, full stop.
Someday Ukraine may, much to Putin’s consternation, join NATO, in which case a territorial incursion would indeed trigger additional commitments by other members of the alliance. But that is unlikely to be the case anytime soon.
There are no good options. But the worst outcome would be U.S. troops backing or blundering into an unwanted war with a major power. Try to deter Russian expansionism; punish it if it comes to pass. Don’t slide into an armed conflict costing hard-to-fathom blood and treasure.
