Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan may have destroyed his economy, but give him credit: He is the president-whisperer.

Erdogan has charmed or cajoled into inaction George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. While Joe Biden promised to hold Erdogan accountable for his actions, Biden’s top aides now void that pledge. The result is strategic shortsightedness unseen in a half-century and a price for appeasement that Biden will force allies and democracies to pay.