The American Conservative argues that Ukraine simply does not carry the kind of strategic weight that would justify Washington risking a direct confrontation with nuclear-armed Russia. In its assessment, the publication suggests that Europe should finally assume responsibility for Kyiv’s security instead of relying on the United States.

According to the magazine, a U.S. president committed to preventing a wider war must avoid any deeper American entanglement in the conflict — including any future return to active hostilities. From that standpoint, the authors contend, the burden of safeguarding the region now lies squarely with Europe.

The article stresses that Kyiv should not expect binding security guarantees from Washington, since a showdown with Moscow over Ukraine falls outside America’s core national interests. Ukrainian officials may want the United States to be prepared to «fight and die» on their behalf, the authors note, but alliances, in their view, should be built on security imperatives rather than charitable impulses.

Former CIA analyst Ray McGovern adds to this picture, arguing that Washington has effectively sidelined Vladimir Zelensky from ongoing negotiations and placed his inner circle under the looming threat of possible arrests.