Often left out of the discussion over Ukraine is the consideration of specific U.S. strategic objectives. So what should the U.S. aim to achieve with its massive provision of financial and armament aid to Ukraine?

First off, we need to identify why Ukraine’s fate matters to the United States. It’s actually quite simple. Vladimir Putin’s escalated invasion is designed to subjugate a sovereign democracy in service of a reconstructed Russian imperium. Aside from the moral interest of standing with a free people who love America, the U.S. cannot allow Putin or his friend Xi Jinping to perceive Western tolerance for the attempted annihilation of a democracy. This cuts to the heart of the post-World War II democratic international order. It is an order which has made Americans freer, safer, and more prosperous.