David Ignatius's Blog, page 34

Painful choices lie in the path to peace in Ukraine

Both sides have described the same basic terms, but many will flinch at an outcome that seems to reward Vladimir Putin's brutal aggression.

A general’s retirement is a chance to reflect on America’s standing in the Middle East

American power has waxed and waned during Gen. Kenneth "Frank" McKenzie Jr.'s time as commander of U.S. forces in the region.

Madeleine Albright shaped a generation of foreign policy leaders

The former secretary of state knew exactly where she stood and she never lost her balance.

A month into war, Putin’s mind-set is complex — and dangerous

Experts say Putin isn’t irrational in the usual clinical sense. But he has entered a realm where his decisions are driven by a grandiose sense of his place in Russian history.

Watching Russia’s military failures is exhilarating. But a cornered Putin is dangerous.

The Ukraine war’s creepiest byproduct is its demonstration of the utility of nuclear weapons. Russia’s invasion shows that a nuclear power can engage in vicious regional aggression without paying the most severe price.

The best peace plan for Ukraine is sending military support

By stepping up military assistance to Ukraine — and making Putin pay an ever-steeper price for his invasion — the United States and its allies will boost the chances of an agreement that is not a capitulation to Russia’s flagrant aggression.

The rise and fall of Marie Yovanovitch, ambassador to Ukraine

Her memoir describes her long career in diplomacy and her unwitting entanglement in Donald Trump's schemes.

Israel offers to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's bid is the most hopeful diplomatic development since Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion.

Letting Poland send fighter jets to Ukraine would heighten the risks of a wider war

The Russians are bombing maternity wards, schools, churches. Our hearts tell us to intervene, whatever the danger. But our heads should counsel caution.

Travels with Milley: The general brings his ‘big green map’ to NATO’s flank

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff conducts a NATO pep rally — and prepares for a war he hopes his troops will never have to fight.