American empire

July 2023 as the Ukrainians were being slaughtered in the failed offensive and the US complained Ukraine was too "casualty averse", Ignatius wrote in the Washington Post why this war was successful: "Meanwhile, for the United States and its NATO allies, these 18 months of war have been a strategic windfall, at relatively low cost (other than for the Ukrainians). The West’s most reckless antagonist has been rocked. NATO has grown much stronger with the additions of Sweden and Finland. Germany has weaned itself from dependence on Russian energy and, in many ways, rediscovered its sense of values. NATO squabbles make headlines, but overall, this has been a triumphal summer for the alliance." David Ignatius, Washington Post, June 2023, quoted on Saturday by Glenn Greenwald