The Ukraine Dilemma (Damir Marusic)

It is no secret that a liberal messianic approach to US foreign policy has fueled a number of unproductive wars over the years. But could our latest effort to defend Ukraine in the face of a Russian invasion actually be one of those wars? 

It's a question many Americans, both Democrat and Republican, are asking. With US aid to Ukraine nearing $100 billion -- and with thousands of nuclear warheads within arm's reach of Vladimir Putin's desk -- it's a good question. And it's one that got Florida governor and 2024 presidential candidate Ron DeSantis in trouble in March of this year. 

This week, Robert sits down with Damir Marusic, opinion editor at the Washington Post, to work through the dilemma of Ukraine. As a realist, Damir looks skeptically on talk of "democracy versus tyranny," preferring to analyze political conflicts through the lens of power and interests. But as a Croatian-American, Damir can't help but sympathize with a small nation fending off a hostile invasion, drawing parallels with the collapse of his native Yugoslavia in the 1990s.

What is really at stake in Ukraine, and what does victory look like? What are America's interests and obligations there? And how should we evaluate those interests in light of the moral and humanitarian questions raised by Putin's invasion?

In addition to his position at the Washington Post, Damir Marusic is also co-founder of the Wisdom of Crowds podcast and publishing platform. He was previously a resident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center, where he worked with the Balkans Forward Initiative, an effort to foster a democratic, secure, and prosperous Western Balkans integrated in the transatlantic community. Marusic has written extensively on US politics, polarization, US foreign policy, and European affairs, specifically relating to the Balkans and Russia. He received an MA in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and a BA in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University.