JRL NEWSWATCH: “Russia’s Defeat Would Be America’s Problem; Victory in Ukraine could easily mean hubris in Washington.” – Foreign Policy
“… Assuming the fighting does not escalate further — a possibility that still cannot be ruled out — and Ukraine continues its recent battlefield successes, Russian power will be greatly diminished for many years to come. It is even possible that … Putin will be ousted from power in Moscow. …. There’s a lot to like about this outcome on both moral and strategic grounds, assuming that nuclear weapons are not employed and that Ukraine gets back almost all if not all its lost territory. …. But then what? How should the West, and especially the United States, take advantage of … victory? Above all, what steps should be avoided lest the fruits of victory be squandered? … Indeed, should Ukraine (and the West) win, they will face the same foreign policy to-do list that existed before Russian troops crossed the Ukrainian border: 1) averting catastrophic climate change and dealing with the severe consequences that are already apparent; 2) balancing and engaging China; 3) keeping Iran from getting the bomb; 4) managing a sputtering global economy; and 5) preparing the world for the next pandemic. Achieving these vital goals will require setting clear priorities and avoiding quixotic crusades. No one will be able to stop the Ukraine hawks from taking a victory lap, but it is essential to keep them from leading the West to repeat its past mistakes.”