Ukraine and the West's 'Lack of Will'

Western governments are not going to act as if they are engaged in an existential fight when they are not.

The New York Times published an odd op-ed from Anastasia Edel today. Among other things, Edel complains that “the West” isn’t doing enough for Ukraine and that Russia is winning only because of a lack of Western will. She writes, “Despite having the resources to end this war on Ukraine’s terms, the West clearly lacks the will to win.” Needless to say, Edel doesn’t precisely define what she means by Ukraine’s terms or winning, but she seems confident that victory would be possible if Western governments weren’t so half-hearted. The reality is that Western governments are not going to act as if they are engaged in an existential fight when they are not, and it is a mistake to try to build a policy around the hope that they might.