Putin’s war of aggression against Ukraine has reinvigorated transatlantic cooperation, bringing the United States and its European allies closer than they have been since the end of the Cold War. A united transatlantic alliance is sanctioning Russia and supporting Ukraine. For the Europeans, the US-led campaign against Russia is not about regime change but about defending a liberal international order.
The rule of Russian President Vladimir Putin has been threatened by Ukraine as the latter has democratised and sought closer relations with Europe. However, the invasion of Ukraine does more than violate democracy and human rights: it breaches every principle on which the post–World War II international order was formally built. Even non-liberal states, most notably China, supported these ideals: sovereign equality of states, territorial integrity, and non-interference in domestic affairs.
But a sustained return of US global leadership, supported by the transatlantic community in defence of liberal ideals is by no means certain. Domestic political polarisation in the US is not set to recede any time soon, limiting bipartisan cooperation on foreign policy issues.
