Not all wars are tragic, but the war between Russia and Ukraine is. Both peoples are inextricably linked to the West and to each other in a common history, Christian faith, and cultural heritage. Over the long run, in the face of China’s expansion and the perils posed by modern technology’s relentless assault on humanist values, the West will be much stronger if it embraces both Ukraine and Russia. The longer the war goes on, the more destruction it will wreak on Ukraine, on Russia, and on the economic, social, and political fabric of the West. At a time the United States should be zeroing in on the China threat, it is spending billions to fight Russia in Ukraine. Over time, the war will make Russia more dependent on China, strengthen the Beijing-Moscow axis, and drive Russia farther from the West, weakening both Russia and the West.
