Biden’s Ukraine Strategy Has Little to Do with Ukraine

Everyone knows the Trump administration 2.0 will take a different approach to navigating the war Moscow unleashed against Ukraine in February 2022. Beyond that, the former president has cultivated a lot of ambiguity around precisely how he would revise Joe Biden’s handling of that crisis. For that reason, the transition period is likely to be a dangerous one. Both parties to this conflict understand that they have a small window to reshape the dynamics on the battlefield ahead of Inauguration Day. Both Ukraine and Russia are pulling out all the stops.

Russian forces are advancing on several axes, one of which is inside the Russian Federation proper. The fight inside Russia’s Kursk region, into which Ukrainian forces mounted a daring raid in August and where Kyiv’s forces have dug in for a long fight, has “reached an intensity rarely seen during 2½ years of war,” the Wall Street Journal reported. “Moscow has deployed some 45,000 troops to the region,” the report added, “including some of its best forces who are attacking in nonstop waves.” Meanwhile, “Ukraine has also sent many of its best brigades to Kursk.” In addition, Ukraine’s forces have made the most of Biden’s belated decision to loosen the reins and allow Kyiv to fire U.S.-made long-range ordnance at the staging areas and ammo depots inside Russia that facilitate Moscow’s expansionist war.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

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Everyone knows the Trump administration 2.0 will take a different approach to navigating the war Moscow unleashed against Ukraine in February 2022. Beyond that, the former president has cultivated a lot of ambiguity around precisely how he would revise Joe Biden’s handling of that crisis. For that reason, the transition period is likely to be a dangerous one. Both parties to this conflict understand that they have a small window to reshape the dynamics on the battlefield ahead of Inauguration Day. Both Ukraine and Russia are pulling out all the stops.

Russian forces are advancing on several axes, one of which is inside the Russian Federation proper. The fight inside Russia’s Kursk region, into which Ukrainian forces mounted a daring raid in August and where Kyiv’s forces have dug in for a long fight, has “reached an intensity rarely seen during 2½ years of war,” the Wall Street Journal reported. “Moscow has deployed some 45,000 troops to the region,” the report added, “including some of its best forces who are attacking in nonstop waves.” Meanwhile, “Ukraine has also sent many of its best brigades to Kursk.” In addition, Ukraine’s forces have made the most of Biden’s belated decision to loosen the reins and allow Kyiv to fire U.S.-made long-range ordnance at the staging areas and ammo depots inside Russia that facilitate Moscow’s expansionist war.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.