The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Trump’s Putin Overtures Deserve Criticism. But Outrage Won’t End the Ukraine War.
English Summary
The article argues that while Western criticism of diplomatic engagement with Russia is warranted, focusing on moral outrage is counterproductive to ending the Ukraine War. Since a 'just peace' is unattainable, policy must shift toward achieving a pragmatic compromise that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and facilitates its gradual integration into European security structures. Strategically, this requires the West to maintain strong military and intelligence support in the near term while simultaneously establishing necessary diplomatic channels with Russia to manage long-term post-conflict coexistence. The ultimate goal should be an achievable peace, rather than a punitive or purely justice-driven settlement.
中文摘要
本文論述，儘管西方對外交參與俄羅斯提出批評是合理的，但過分著重於道德憤怒反而不利於結束烏克蘭戰爭。由於「正義和平」難以實現，政策必須轉向尋求務實的妥協，以維護烏克蘭的主權，並促進其逐步融入歐洲安全結構。從戰略角度來看，這要求西方在短期內維持強大的軍事和情報支持，同時必須與俄羅斯建立必要的外交渠道，以管理長期的戰後共存。最終目標應是可實現的和平，而非懲罰性或純粹以正義為導向的解決方案。
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