Contrary to Elbridge Colby, the wars in Ukraine and Taiwan are interconnected: if Putin wins in Ukraine and the US looks weak, it will embolden Xi Jinping to take Taiwan by force; conversely, a Western win in Ukraine deters China—an application of 'peace through strength' in which looking weak in one theater invites autocratic risk-taking in another.

causalpending

Speaker

Michael McFaul

Evidence Quote

if the autocrats look strong and we look weak, that's the opposite of peace through strength

Source

“They’re Not Like Us”: Michael McFaul on Autocrats vs. Democrats and the Fight for the 21st CenturyHoover Institution
Created: 6/18/2026, 1:57:41 PM

My Notes

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