Relationship Risks
Ukraine’s Outsized Reliance on the US Is a Risk for the World
America's alliances with other countries have played a pivotal role in how the United States has responded to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. While these relationships are crucial to advancing US interests, they also come with costs.
“Since the end of the Cold War, the United States has allowed its NATO allies to slash defense spending for peace dividends that Americans didn’t enjoy, while we subsidized their security,” Elizabeth Shackelford writes in the Chicago Tribune. “As a result, none of our allies today is prepared to bear the brunt of what should be, first and foremost, a European burden.”
What’s the difference between an alliance, like NATO, and a partnership, like America has with Ukraine?
It comes down to the level of commitment, Nonresident Fellow Paul Poast explains. An alliance refers to a defense treaty between countries, with an attack on one party treated as an attack on one’s own soil. Partnerships lack this type of formal agreement, but often involve military aid or intelligence sharing.
The Data Dimension
What qualities do Americans want the United States to prioritize when it comes to alliances or partnerships? Data from the 2022 Chicago Council Survey show that most Americans think it is very important that allies share US security interests (51%). Working with Washington to limit the influence of Russia (49%) and China (44%) are seen as the next two most important attributes.
What We're Watching
- Mexican democracy: Is Mexico sliding into authoritarianism? Experts Denise Dresser and Guillermo Trejo join Deep Dish to discuss recent moves to weaken the country’s electoral watchdog.
- South Korea’s nuclear ambitions: The push for a domestic arsenal has gone from a largely taboo subject to part of mainstream policy discussions, Karl Friedhoff writes.
- Black Americans' views on Ukraine: Across income and education levels, Black Americans are less likely to say the United States should support Kyiv for as long as it takes, Craig Kafura reports.
- Global accountability: A new atlas from David Miliband, the Eurasia Group, and the Council tracks abuse of power across five key dimensions.
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