Russia-Ukraine Conflict: Unlearn False Cold War Lessons

As Russia escalates the breadth and violence of its assault on Ukraine, the Biden administration has rejected measures to expand aid to the beleaguered defenders. The White House has settled for providing limited military supplies, under a severe misunderstanding of the legal and political rules that govern great-power conflict.

To his credit, President Biden has performed a masterful job in unifying NATO to take a strong initial stand against Russia. Vladimir Putin no doubt has been taken aback not just by the ferocity and nationalism of the Ukrainians, upon which all else depends, but also by the swift response of the U.S. and its allies. Sanctions are isolating Russia from the international economy, crashing its finances, and devaluing the ruble. NATO allies are sending the Stingers, Javelins, and drones that have allowed Ukrainians to protect their major cities and inflict steep losses on Russian troops.

About the Author

John Yoo

John Yoo is the Thomas W. Smith Senior Fellow at the Civitas Institute, University of Texas at Austin; Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley; and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is a co-author of the just-released two-volume American Constitutional Law (Routledge, 2026).

Featured Tags

As Russia escalates the breadth and violence of its assault on Ukraine, the Biden administration has rejected measures to expand aid to the beleaguered defenders. The White House has settled for providing limited military supplies, under a severe misunderstanding of the legal and political rules that govern great-power conflict.

To his credit, President Biden has performed a masterful job in unifying NATO to take a strong initial stand against Russia. Vladimir Putin no doubt has been taken aback not just by the ferocity and nationalism of the Ukrainians, upon which all else depends, but also by the swift response of the U.S. and its allies. Sanctions are isolating Russia from the international economy, crashing its finances, and devaluing the ruble. NATO allies are sending the Stingers, Javelins, and drones that have allowed Ukrainians to protect their major cities and inflict steep losses on Russian troops.

About the Author

John Yoo

John Yoo is the Thomas W. Smith Senior Fellow at the Civitas Institute, University of Texas at Austin; Emanuel S. Heller Professor of Law at the University of California at Berkeley; and a nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. He is a co-author of the just-released two-volume American Constitutional Law (Routledge, 2026).