By Christopher McCallion
So far, Russia’s attempt to reassert itself as a first-tier power commanding a sphere of influence in the post-Soviet space has floundered. Rather than reestablishing Russia’s prestige and humbling the West, the war in Ukraine has revealed a morass of dysfunction that the country will likely spend decades attempting to live down while hobbled by economic isolation from Europe.
But Russian failures have also aroused a discomforting war euphoria in a liberal West that has lacked a sense of moral certainty and purpose in recent years; discomforting, because while confidence can be a virtue, hubris is an all-too-familiar vice. Many analysts and commentators have been making pronouncements that a year ago they would not have dared to even imagine, including Ukraine retaking Crimea, or the downfall of the Russian government.
This piece was originally published in The Hill on February 3, 2023. Read more HERE.