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Russian forces invaded Ukraine on 24 February 2022, staging what Moscow called a special military operation. Russia’s military had been building up along the border for months, and Western intelligence agencies warned of an imminent attack for several weeks. Russia was expected to go into eastern Ukraine, but few believed that an initial invasion would include an attempt to take Kyiv. Instead, Russian forces attempted to take the Ukrainian capital while simultaneously entering the Donbas and Luhansk regions. The goal was to remove Volodymyr Zelenskyy from power and replace him with someone who would support Moscow’s security needs and agree to territorial concessions that could end the conflict.

Moscow’s initial invasion plan failed, and instead of a quick victory, Russia found itself mired in a long-enduring conflict. This destroyed Russia’s relationship with the West, ended all efforts at rapprochement, and created the conditions for a new Iron Curtain between NATO member states and Russia. US–Russian relations ground to a halt even in areas in which the two states cooperated previously, such as joint efforts to support the International Space Station (ISS). Moscow and Washington had expended much effort to create joint projects but the Ukrainian invasion ended this collaboration. Europe is again divided between great powers who are on opposing sides of a continental ground war. The situation between Moscow and Washington is extremely reminiscent of the Cold War era. Following World War II, the two allies who defeated the Germans became strategic rivals and were dominated by two different ideologies. The first was …