Biden & Ukraine: No Exit Strategy

Over the last year, President Joe Biden has repeatedly promised that the U.S. would support Ukraine in its war effort for “as long as it takes.” He has vowed that Ukraine is in charge of its own war effort and is determining its own goals. At times, the administration has suggested that the war would end with the downfall of Vladimir Putin — regime change in Russia. The president even suggested as much in an improvised line during a speech in Poland.

It turns out that “as long as it takes” may mean little more than 21 months. In fact, for months, the United States has been critical of Ukraine’s strategy and tactics. The German magazine Bild reported last week that Biden was going back on his word, that the U.S. and Germany would both begin to softly pressure Ukraine to go to the negotiating table with Russia. Bild’s report was hotly denied by the administration, but the truth is that the great blob of respectable foreign-policy opinion that supports the Biden policy in Ukraine is wriggling itself into a new position. Look no further than the recent editorials in the Wall Street Journal: “It’s Time to End Magical Thinking About Russia’s Defeat” or “How to Avoid Defeat in Ukraine.”

About the Author

Michael Brendan Dougherty

Michael Brendan Dougherty is a senior writer at National Review Online.

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Over the last year, President Joe Biden has repeatedly promised that the U.S. would support Ukraine in its war effort for “as long as it takes.” He has vowed that Ukraine is in charge of its own war effort and is determining its own goals. At times, the administration has suggested that the war would end with the downfall of Vladimir Putin — regime change in Russia. The president even suggested as much in an improvised line during a speech in Poland.

It turns out that “as long as it takes” may mean little more than 21 months. In fact, for months, the United States has been critical of Ukraine’s strategy and tactics. The German magazine Bild reported last week that Biden was going back on his word, that the U.S. and Germany would both begin to softly pressure Ukraine to go to the negotiating table with Russia. Bild’s report was hotly denied by the administration, but the truth is that the great blob of respectable foreign-policy opinion that supports the Biden policy in Ukraine is wriggling itself into a new position. Look no further than the recent editorials in the Wall Street Journal: “It’s Time to End Magical Thinking About Russia’s Defeat” or “How to Avoid Defeat in Ukraine.”