The war in Ukraine is not just a regional conflict, it is a pivotal struggle over the future of liberal democracy, Western unity, and the global balance of power. With Russia pursuing expansionist aims, the West divided, and President Donald Trump reshaping U.S. foreign policy, the outcome of this war could determine whether democratic values or authoritarian spheres of influence define the next world order.

Steven Pifer and Angela Stent joined this week’s Expert Series to unpack the evolving stakes of the war in Ukraine and its broader geopolitical consequences. Drawing on their deep expertise in U.S.-Russia relations and European security, they discuss the latest developments of the Ukraine war, Russia’s geopolitical ambitions, the impact of Donald Trump’s return to the white house on America’s position on the war and European security broadly, and how the war’s outcome could reshape NATO cohesion, the broader international security landscape, and the potential emergence of a multi polar-world order

Angela Stent is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute. Steven Pifer is a Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute.

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