How Biden Made a Mess of Ukraine
He treated the conflict as a crisis to be managed, not a war to be won.
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Alex Wong / Getty Helping Ukraine Is Europe’s Job Now
Trump is closer to Putin than to any of the continent’s democratic leaders.
Illustration by Akshita Chandra / The Atlantic What Is Russia Doing With North Korean Troops?
Washington worries too much about what Putin thinks.
lllustration by The Atlantic. Sources: Alain Nogues / Getty; Vladimir Smirnov / Getty. How Defense Experts Got Ukraine Wrong
On questions of war and peace, governments must hear from many types of experts.
David Guttenfelder / The New York Times / Redux The National Interest Is What the President Says It Is
Even in a democracy, geopolitical strategy is determined mainly by the personal preferences of its leader. American voters should take note.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: NurPhoto / Getty; Stock Montage / Getty; Rebecca Noble / Getty. Ukraine Was Biding Its Time
While outside analysts downplayed their chances, the Ukrainians were quietly planning an offensive across the Russian border.
Illustration by Matteo Giuseppe Pani The Final Six Months of U.S. Aid for Ukraine
If Trump wins, Kyiv’s cause is in danger. Biden must prepare for that possibility.
Erin Schaff / The New York Times / Redux The Growing Incentive to Go Nuclear
Biden has inadvertently encouraged vulnerable nations to seek the ultimate shield.
Illustration by Ben Kothe / The Atlantic. Source: Getty. The Real AI Weapons Are Drones, Not Nukes
Hollywood imagined that computers would launch a nuclear missile, but self-guided aircraft are what’s truly changing the nature of combat.
Illustration by The Atlantic. Sources: Alexander Welscher / Getty; cherezoff / Getty. What Happens When the U.S. Overestimates Its Power
American leaders keep overestimating their control over events in the Middle East, Ukraine, and around the world.
Illustration by Ben Kothe / The Atlantic. Source: Getty.
