US President Joe Biden’s policy in the war in Ukraine has been clear from the beginning: to put Ukraine in the best position “on the battlefield [to] be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table” while being careful “not fight the third world war in Ukraine.” There has been a lot less clarity on the meaning of “best.”
On the battlefield of Ukraine, “best” is defined – or should have been defined – not as best imaginable, but as best attainable. Best imaginable lies in some unrealizable future; best attainable has already passed. And that was Biden’s first mistake.