> But in making the plea, Ukraine exposed a problem with the West. In the 30 years since the fall of the Soviet Union — nearly my entire lifetime — liberalism h

> But in making the plea, Ukraine exposed a problem with the West. In the 30 years since the fall of the Soviet Union — nearly my entire lifetime — liberalism has come to be taken for granted, the will to defend it withered. Three decades of not articulating what you stand for will do that. This is not an accurate view of what actually happened. Once hostilities started, the US and EU quicky united against Russia in a way that has not existed since the early days of the cold war. (Early as in Berlin Airlift era.) There are multiple proofs of that unity ranging from supplying weapons to the Ukraine military to disconnecting Russia from Western economies. There is not [yet] a hot war involving US/EU directly against Russia in Ukraine because Western leaders are justifiably worried about triggering a nuclear exchange. I don't believe it's a lack of will to defend the liberal order.