Russia-Ukraine Crisis: Convince Putin He’s Overreaching

A question haunts NATO, Europe, and U.S. policy-makers this week: Who can stop Putin? The short answer is: Only Putin can stop Putin — if he can be convinced that occupying more of Ukraine and pulling apart the Western alliance involve more costs than benefits.

The longer answer is: The solution isn’t in Washington or Brussels, or in Ukraine itself, but on Putin’s other borders, specifically his northern flank. The goal is to force Putin to realize that making Ukraine part of his empire won’t solve any problems but will only create new — and very dangerous — ones. Sweden and Finland offer an opportunity to make Putin see that he is overreaching and needs to stop.

About the Author

Arthur Herman

Arthur Herman is a senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of Freedom’s Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II.

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A question haunts NATO, Europe, and U.S. policy-makers this week: Who can stop Putin? The short answer is: Only Putin can stop Putin — if he can be convinced that occupying more of Ukraine and pulling apart the Western alliance involve more costs than benefits.

The longer answer is: The solution isn’t in Washington or Brussels, or in Ukraine itself, but on Putin’s other borders, specifically his northern flank. The goal is to force Putin to realize that making Ukraine part of his empire won’t solve any problems but will only create new — and very dangerous — ones. Sweden and Finland offer an opportunity to make Putin see that he is overreaching and needs to stop.

About the Author

Arthur Herman

Arthur Herman is a senior research fellow at the Civitas Institute at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of Freedom’s Forge: How American Business Produced Victory in World War II.