When Russia invaded Ukraine nearly three years ago, President Joe Biden set three primary objectives for the U.S. response: supporting Ukraine’s survival as a sovereign, democratic nation; maintaining unity among U.S. allies; and avoiding direct conflict between Russia and NATO. With the war ongoing, these objectives have largely been met, but the outcome has left many, including some of Biden’s closest allies, feeling unsatisfied.
At the outset of the invasion, Biden’s message to the American people and the world was deliberately vague: supporting Ukraine “for as long as it takes.” However, U.S. officials, including Eric Green, who oversaw Russia policy on Biden’s National Security Council, made clear that Ukraine’s victory was never a specific aim. “We were deliberately not talking about the territorial parameters,” Green said. The U.S. made no promises to help Ukraine reclaim the vast territories occupied by Russia in 2014, including Crimea and large parts of eastern Ukraine, as those goals were deemed beyond Ukraine’s capabilities, even with Western support.
Instead, Biden focused on ensuring Ukraine’s survival and its future integration with the West. However, while the U.S. and its allies have provided billions in military and humanitarian aid, there is growing dissatisfaction among Ukrainians, especially in light of the ongoing war and their calls for stronger action from the West. In early January, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed frustration with Biden’s handling of the situation, criticizing the lack of sufficient sanctions against Russia and the delay in providing crucial military support. “With all due respect to the United States and the administration, I don’t want the same situation like we had with Biden. I ask for sanctions now, please, and weapons now,” Zelensky said in a podcast interview.
Despite this criticism, the U.S. has provided substantial aid, amounting to $66 billion in military assistance since Russia’s invasion in February 2022, and around $183 billion in total assistance, including economic and humanitarian support. Nevertheless, Zelensky and his allies remain particularly focused on securing a clear path to NATO membership for Ukraine, which Biden has repeatedly rejected, despite acknowledging the importance of Ukraine’s future in the European Union and NATO.
During a September 2022 visit to Washington, Zelensky presented a “victory plan” that included a request for NATO membership and increased weapons supplies to strengthen Ukraine’s position in the war. While Biden did not approve Ukraine’s NATO bid, he did approve several key measures, including allowing Ukraine to use U.S. missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory and imposing tough sanctions on Russia’s energy sector.
While these actions were seen as significant steps, they fell short of what Zelensky had hoped for. Still, Biden highlighted these achievements as part of his larger foreign-policy success, asserting that Ukraine had survived as a free and independent country with the potential for a brighter future. However, Biden’s goals have remained cautious, emphasizing Ukraine’s survival over the defeat of Russia, and it is unclear when, or if, that future will come to fruition.
