I understand that Biden has about as much to do with directing U.S. foreign policy as Humpty Dumpty or the Man in the Moon. Nonetheless, the semi-secret cabal of supposed experts who will run things for another 40-odd days does so in the name of Joe Biden, which makes Biden a convenient shorthand for “those in charge.” And “those in charge” clearly mean to undermine the Trump team as it assumes responsibility for our national security on Jan. 20. There’s no better example of this than Biden’s recently announced final military aid package for Ukraine and the lifting of restrictions on the use of U.S.-supplied missiles.

We’ve been told by no less than Trump himself that he has a plan for Ukraine, a plan that will end the current bloody stalemate and re-establish peace and stability in Eastern Europe. There’s been much speculation concerning the outlines of such a plan. The article by Armando Simon The American Spectator represents a vision that I would like to see realized, although I recognize that there’s a good dose of wishful thinking involved. (READ MORE: Trump Will Force a Compromise on Ukraine)
Moreover, we’ve been treated to all sorts of optimism in the wake of the informal “summit” that accompanied the re-opening of Notre Dame this past week. One hopes that all the smiles and handshakes bespeak a willingness on the part of European leaders to put aside the snark that marked their response to the first Trump administration. Perhaps this time they might try to work with the leadership that he seems more than willing to provide. Some of them, Giorgia Meloni for one, appear ready to get on board. (READ MORE: Trump and the Advent of the Pax Americana)
The Setup
One can hope for many good things but hope scarcely makes for success in foreign policy. The most important of “Murphy’s Laws of Combat,” truly, the one that underlies almost all the others, is that “the enemy always gets a vote.” The same is true of foreign and national security policy, even — no, especial...