Another excellent piece of analysis Philip. You are correct to point to the need for vigilance and avoidance of complacency. I suggest there is a flaw in the general assessment of an effective response to Russian aggression, when we refer to “the West”. The USA has responded; Europe is largely a bystander that should recognise it is at war and be ready to take a much greater share of the burden should the resolve of the USA be weakened by the shifting sands of politics on Capitol Hill.
Thanks...but I think you are being a little unfair in Europe. Sure the US has made the big military/financial contribution but Europe has taken a much bigger economic hit...
You are right about the economic pain taken by Europe. However I think Europe, in this case including U.K., needs to realise that the military protection offered by the USA may not always be available. Also what sovereign state, or group of sovereign states, is happy for its defence and security to be provided by a third party?
Sorry for the cross-post reference , but Don Moynihan has a great Substack and discusses the brittleness of authoritarian rule in the Star Wars setting of Andor (I'm surprised by how good it is) - Andor has a brilliant and apposite line: “Tyranny requires constant efforts. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle.” Authoritarians everywhere need to remember that... more at https://donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-administrative-state-of-the-empire
The extraordinarily apt timing if this, on the day the world wakes up to mass demonstrations in China calling for Xi to go (good news with Chinese characteristics....). Well done, Philip Stephens.
Autocrats desperately need wins. Putin is losing the Ukrainian war, Xi is losing the Covid war. As for nationalism, Putin has been very successful: he has lifted and unified Ukrainian nationalism.
Another excellent piece of analysis Philip. You are correct to point to the need for vigilance and avoidance of complacency. I suggest there is a flaw in the general assessment of an effective response to Russian aggression, when we refer to “the West”. The USA has responded; Europe is largely a bystander that should recognise it is at war and be ready to take a much greater share of the burden should the resolve of the USA be weakened by the shifting sands of politics on Capitol Hill.
Thanks...but I think you are being a little unfair in Europe. Sure the US has made the big military/financial contribution but Europe has taken a much bigger economic hit...
You are right about the economic pain taken by Europe. However I think Europe, in this case including U.K., needs to realise that the military protection offered by the USA may not always be available. Also what sovereign state, or group of sovereign states, is happy for its defence and security to be provided by a third party?
Sorry for the cross-post reference , but Don Moynihan has a great Substack and discusses the brittleness of authoritarian rule in the Star Wars setting of Andor (I'm surprised by how good it is) - Andor has a brilliant and apposite line: “Tyranny requires constant efforts. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle.” Authoritarians everywhere need to remember that... more at https://donmoynihan.substack.com/p/the-administrative-state-of-the-empire
Excellent as always
The extraordinarily apt timing if this, on the day the world wakes up to mass demonstrations in China calling for Xi to go (good news with Chinese characteristics....). Well done, Philip Stephens.
Autocrats desperately need wins. Putin is losing the Ukrainian war, Xi is losing the Covid war. As for nationalism, Putin has been very successful: he has lifted and unified Ukrainian nationalism.