By Sascha Glaeser
The Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore recently wrapped up. As a forum to discuss Asian security issues, it was curious that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky addressed attendees.
Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine has rightfully dominated global attention. But as the Biden administration surges US troops to Europe, now numbering 100,000, and provides upward of $54 billion in aid to Ukraine, it risks making a strategic foreign-policy blunder — prioritizing Europe over Asia.
Regardless of how much the United States sympathizes with Ukraine's tragic circumstances; even the mighty United States must make tradeoffs. With a myriad of domestic issues ranging from a shrinking middle class, record inflation, a stagnating economy, and the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, US policymakers cannot afford to pursue the status-quo in both Europe and Asia.
With 4.6 billion people (60% of the world's population), and an economy that is set to account for 50% of global GDP by 2040, Asia will be the key region of the 21st century. China, now the world's largest economy when adjusted for purchasing power parity, seeks to throw its weight behind a more assertive foreign policy in pursuit of its own national interests.
This piece was originally published in Insider on June 23, 2022. Read more HERE.