Thomas E. Graham
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been tirelessly promoting his “victory plan” to Western allies and partners in recent weeks. He has made no secret of his conviction that the United States holds the keys to Ukraine’s success. Washington, however, has shown no enthusiasm for Zelensky’s plan, nor has it offered its plan for bringing Ukraine’s war with Russia to a satisfactory conclusion. This is a striking abdication of responsibility for a country that boasts of its role as a global leader.
What Explains Washington’s Reluctance?
From the very beginning of the war, the Biden administration has insisted that it is up to the Ukrainians to decide when and on what terms to talk to Moscow. They are the ones, after all, who are spilling blood to defend their homeland. Until then, the administration has pledged its support.
That position might appear to be virtuous, but it misrepresents the character of the war. The war is not simply about Ukraine’s territorial integrity and national sovereignty.
It is embedded in a larger conflict between Russia and the West about the future of the European order. Russian President Vladimir Putin made that clear well before he launched the massive invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Two months earlier, he released a draft of U.S.-Russia and NATO-Russia treaties on security guarantees for Russia, as well as other European states, in which Ukraine barely figured. His key demands were focused on neutering NATO, the key pillar of European security, which he saw as a grave threat.
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