The conflict over Ukraine is a conflict over international order. That makes it nearly impossible to resolve.

“At first blush, the conflict between Russia and the United States over Ukraine seems puzzling. A Russian invasion, which seems increasingly plausible, would spark the most serious diplomatic and military crisis since the end of the Cold War. It would raise the specter of conventional war between two nuclear-armed countries.

American support for the use of force in Ukraine has risen steadily since Russia’s 2014 invasion of Crimea. As of December 2021, most Americans with opinions on the matter support protecting Ukraine militarily in the event of a Russian invasion. Yet as political scientist Barry Posen has argued, it is far from clear that Ukraine’s independence represents a vital U.S. interest. Indeed, a survey at the start of the 2014 crisis showed that only about 16 percent of Americans could find Ukraine on a map.”

Read Professor Bear F. Braumoeller’s full analysis in the Washington Post.