With Washington’s attention on the war with Iran, other foreign policy concerns appear to be moving down the list of priorities. Last week, the Trump administration temporarily removed sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to contain soaring energy prices; this week, it postponed a long-awaited meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The developments reminded me of a compelling 2023 essay by former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, who warned against letting great-power competition slip from the United States’ focus. Keeping the threats from China and Russia at bay, he writes, requires “certainty of commitments and constancy of response,” and pursuing erratic policies instead is “practically inviting risk-prone autocrats to place dangerous bets”—including ones that could lead to great-power war.
Until next week, |
