For all America’s success in helping Ukraine, hard times lie ahead

VLADIMIR PUTIN’SNATO epoch-changing miscalculation over Ukraine was the outcome of a trio of mission-defining misjudgments. One was that Ukraine’s government would collapse quickly. Another was that his modernised army would be dominant. The last was that America, in irreversible decline, was no longer capable of leadership. For Ukraine to be defeated, Mr Putin had only to get one premise right.The first two misjudgments have caused general surprise. The third has stirred up general interest, among allies and foes alike. In recent years America has seemed less committed to the institutions it created after the second world war, largely as a result of its own disastrous occupation of Iraq following the attacks of September 11th 2001. Barack Obama chose to “reset” relations with Russia after it invaded Georgia in 2008 and failed to enforce a red line against the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Donald Trump accused his allies of duping America and called “obsolete”. After America’s humiliating flight from Kabul last summer, Mr Putin seemed to have concluded that Joe Biden would be unable or unwilling to do much for Ukraine.