Global Eyes: Five Stories

And why they're important

Cherries over a wheat field in Ukraine. By Igor2008, via Pixabay.

Let’s do this differently today. Just five articles and my comments about them.

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1. Road to War

The Washington Post has a long, detailed account of the Biden Administration’s calculations in the run-up to the war in Ukraine.

This account, in previously unreported detail, shines new light on the uphill climb to restore US credibility, the attempt to balance secrecy around intelligence with the need to persuade others of its truth, and the challenge of determining how the world’s most powerful military alliance would help a less-than-perfect democracy on Russia’s border defy an attack without NATO firing a shot.

This kind of reporting is the Post’s specialty. Their connections in DC are unparalleled, and they have a tacit bargain with Democratic administrations: In exchange for access, we’ll portray you sympathetically. The article reflects that access—a lot of the information is new.