Putin’s Ukraine Gambit Unites Western Democracies He Sought to Divide

In my recent op-ed for The Hill, I explained that Vladimir Putin has inadvertently ushered in a new period of transatlantic and NATO unity.

President Vladimir Putin has long exploited and exacerbated divisions within and between Western democracies. Through its proxy, the Internet Research Agency (IRA) — a Russian organization with strong Kremlin security services ties — Russia has engaged in “active measures” to destabilize the West and demonstrate democracy’s failure as a governing system to Russians and the world. However, Putin’s threatened invasion of Ukraine is beginning to undo this singular achievement.

Putin has inadvertently drawn NATO troops closer to his border and given the alliance renewed purpose and vigor. Currently, the alliance is demonstrating cohesion and resolve unseen since the months following 9/11, silencing questions about its relevance. NATO allies have committed troops, advisers on the ground, and weapons to bolster Ukraine and the alliance’s eastern flank.

Read the full op-ed in The Hill.