Don’t Repeat the Mistakes of Kosovo in Ukraine

Almost four years into Russia’s war in Ukraine, and more than a decade after Russia’s annexation of Crimea, the U.S. is faced with a dilemma. On the one hand is the urge to continue to support Ukraine diplomatically and militarily. On the other is the push to stop a war that neither side can win.

The urge to support Ukraine doesn’t just stem from a sense of solidarity with Kyiv. It is based on the understanding that Ukraine is fighting for the West as a whole against Russia’s broader onslaught on Europe. And it is not just America supporting Ukraine: Ukraine is doing the fighting in the West’s confrontation with Putin’s imperial ambitions.

But it is also clear that Ukraine will not succeed in restoring control over its internationally recognized borders anytime soon, barring a complete collapse of Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Neither is Russia likely to achieve its war aims of completely subduing Ukraine and erasing its distinct identity. If anything, Putin has done more than anyone to strengthen a Ukrainian identity that will remain deeply hostile to Russia for decades to come.