In his momentous trip to Europe that included a surprise visit to Ukraine and a heralded speech in Poland, President Joe Biden proclaimed “unwavering” support for Ukraine and avowed Russia would “never” win the war. But the truth is that “wavering” has characterized the Biden administration’s approach to Ukraine to date. Moral and strategic prevarication have delimited the U.S. response to Russian genocide and conquest in the heart of Europe. Military aid to Ukraine has been incremental and plodding, while statecraft and oratory to address the terrible atrocities and the threat to freedom itself have been scarce and inadequate.

This is a pivotal time not just for those yearning and fighting for freedom, but also for those who have the freedom others long for. There is, on the one hand, the worldwide rise of authoritarianism and the routinization of human rights abuses, leading to an epidemic of oppression and suffering. On the other hand, Ukraine’s courageous resistance to Russia’s genocidal war, and brave protests in Iran, China, Cuba and other hotspots show that brutality does not destroy the human spirit.

Credibility

The overarching deficit in U.S.-China policy is our lack of credibility as a champion, never mind the leading champion, of freedom. Post-World War II American foreign policy wasn’t perfect, but it was morally, strategically, and militarily convincing. Reeling from the horrors and devastation of fascism and “total war” and faced with Soviet atrocities and conquests, the United States resolved to stop expansionist aggression in its tracks and counter extremist ideologies with ideas of political liberty and human worth.

Studying Xi Jinping’s manipulation of language is a disorienting mental exercise. It is nonetheless crucial since Xi and the Chinese Communist Party routinely co-opt and redefine concepts the West generally agrees on in order to undermine U.S.-Western prestige, credibility, and predominance. In Beijing, the meaning of words is shamelessly subordinated to the political, geopolitical, and…

Defying the odds, heroic Ukraine could conceivably draw Russia into a stalemate and, with enough military aid, “win” this war. Russia’s failure to capture Kyiv and the ground it has lost in Kharkiv have given Western onlookers hope, and an excuse not to do more. But looking at the terrible atrocities Russia has committed, the…

Ever-more shocking atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine are awakening Western consciences and exposing fault lines in the Western worldview. With crimes against humanity now on NATO’s doorstep, Westerners are focusing on human rights with concern and alarm not seen since the Cold War. As we do, we must admit that the West’s post-Cold War…

Russia’s cruel war of aggression upon Ukraine must finally awaken the West from its post-Cold War slumber. This is merciless Putin’s war, waged against an innocent sovereign nation, but there will always be aggressors, and it is up to democracies to stop them before they are so emboldened and powerful that they threaten freedom itself….

The West has taken a hesitant, incremental, and minimalist approach to the mounting Russian aggression that is fueled by Vladimir Putin’s revanchist ambitions. Russia would not currently pose a grave threat to Ukraine, Eastern Europe, and beyond if the West had responded convincingly and promptly to Russia’s ever more hostile provocations. While it is true…

The United States and Europe are at a tipping point, with each deciding how to respond to Russian resurgence, bellicosity, and aggression. If they do not move decisively to stop Russia from taking over Ukraine, they will send a dangerous message to China vis-a-vis Taiwan, position Russia to coerce more former Soviet satellite states, and…

How many moral and strategic setbacks must America endure to see that unless free people are vigorous in defense of the ideals and security of democracy, forces of oppression and domination grow? With World War II and the conquests and horrors of fascist Germany and Japan, we learned this lesson the hard way … for…