Russia’s Assault on Ukraine Exposes US, Allied Gaps in Preparing for Great-Power War
by Ambassador (ret) John E. Herbst and Jennifer Cafarella
November 30, 2022
Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February was designed to ensure Moscow’s political control over its democratizing neighbor and to undermine NATO and the European Union. It was clear from the first weeks of the campaign that the result was exactly the opposite: The extraordinary Russian offensive served as a necessary wakeup call for the United States and the West to prepare for the ugly necessities of this new era of great-power competition. The conflict illustrates that, while the United States has for years attempted to pivot away from its decades-long focus on irregular wars in the Middle East and South Asia, it has done far too little to prepare for the challenges posed by Putin’s eight-year war on Ukraine and by a decade of Chinese “wolf warrior diplomacy.”
Ukraine’s heroic resistance against Russia’s invasion has provided the West an invaluable opportunity to rectify this failure. As Ukrainian forces blunted the initial advances of Russian forces, the United States and Europe began to recognize the urgency to act. NATO and the EU took strong steps to help Ukraine thwart Kremlin aggression, to punish Moscow with sanctions, to enhance defense spending and build up their military defenses near Russian borders, and to set the stage to strengthen NATO by adding Finland and Sweden as new members. For the first time in decades, they began to comprehend that the Alliance does not have years to study and debate a new strategy, but must move now to implement changes that will ensure the safety and security of every member. The geopolitical realignment and strategic direction that have emerged are important and well-understood.
https://www.justsecurity.org/84286/russias-assault-on-ukraine-exposes-us-allied-gaps-in-preparing-for-great-power-war/
