Reliable Not Reckless

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 posed a blunt test for Washington—one that many said it failed. For example, Michael McFaul, the U.S. ambassador to Russia at the time, urged then-President Joe Biden to “go all in,” but he did not. As a result, former National Security Advisor John Bolton called the Biden administration’s approach “palpably inadequate” and claimed that Biden’s weak response “gave Putin a freebie.” Then-former President Donald Trump, in turn, calledBiden’s response “weak” and “dumb.”

These sentiments reflect the common assumption that the United States’ reputation as a global strategic leader and reliable ally rests on dramatic shows of military resolve. That means deploying troops, drawing red lines, and demonstrating that no adversary can challenge U.S. commitments without consequences. But in Ukraine, Biden refused to do that. From the outset, he made it clear that the United States wouldn’t put boots on the ground. Instead, Washington championed economic sanctions against Russia and provided extensive but restricted military aid to Ukraine.

For many commentators, this invited doubts about U.S. credibility and created uncertainty over American willingness to defend other partners facing existential threats like Taiwan. But did it?