NATO, Ukraine, and the War Hawks’ Pixie Dust Playbook

The Never-Ending War crowd wants you to believe three things at once: *NATO expansion deters aggression—and won’t provoke retaliation. *Giving Ukraine de facto NATO security guarantees will protect it—but won’t require American blood and treasure if war breaks out. *Russia will accept NATO troops or bases in Ukraine—but won’t view that as an existential threat. Their bombast contradicts each of these premises. The war hawks argue that Putin has never complied with any agreement—that he is a liar, a thug, and a geopolitical predator. Yet, they insist that American troops must be a necessary component of any agreement. What exactly...