By unleashing a Russian blitzkrieg on Ukraine, Vladimir Putin also has shattered Europe’s long peace, with enormous implications for U.S. security. The pacification of Europe – the world’s most dangerous cauldron of conflict in the last century – was the supreme achievement of American statecraft, and it may be coming undone.

The Russian strongman’s resort to brute force to crush Ukraine’s independence is a tragedy for its 40 million citizens. But by ordering the largest military mobilization in Europe since World War II, Putin also has sought to strong arm the transatlantic allies into rolling back NATO’s eastward expansion after the Cold War ended.

Ukraine is not a NATO member — and Putin’s unprovoked aggression is intended to ensure that it never becomes one. Biden has made it clear that the West won’t go to war to protect it from Russia. But the United States and Europe should stand in solidarity with Ukraine and never accept its subjugation by Russia.

Nor should they let the world forget that Putin’s rationale for destroying Ukraine’s sovereignty is based entirely on lies and historical fictions. The Kremlin’s propaganda machine is working overtime to convince the world that Russia’s goal is to “deNazify” Ukraine and protect ethnic Russians in breakaway provinces from “genocide." 

What Putin Really Fears
By Will Marshall, PPI President

Cryptocurrency has taken the world by storm. Depending on the day, digital currencies are now cumulatively valued at several trillion dollars. Financial and nonfinancial corporate executives, once dismissive, increasingly understand the importance of cryptocurrency and related technologies for the future. However, the federal government is only in the early stages of deciding how to regulate cryptocurrency, which could have enormous implications going forward.

Listen to this conversation with Congressman Jake Auchincloss and business leaders for a dynamic discussion on regulating this unprecedented technology. 

Upcoming Event: How the U.S. Can Better Compete Globally on R&D

On March 3, the Innovation Frontier Project at the Progressive Policy Institute will host a virtual panel discussion for policymakers, staffers, and journalists titled “How the U.S. Can Better Compete Globally on R&D.”

Between the pandemic, supply chain snarls, and an increased economic competition with China, there is a growing recognition of the role that R&D plays in solving today’s pressing issues and building tomorrow’s economy. To address these concerns, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act passed by the Senate in 2021 and the America COMPETES Act passed this year by the House include provisions to increase advanced manufacturing, initiatives for STEM education and workforce development, and measures to increase the resilience of supply chains.

The Innovation Frontier Project has assembled a panel of leading experts who have recently published papers on how reforms to government procurement could boost R&D spending by U.S. corporations and how the U.S. can focus on manufacturing complex goods to better compete globally. The panelists will discuss how would discuss how the U.S. can better compete with China on R&D and how proposed legislation can accomplish that goal.