Nowhere is this more evident than in Ukraine. The US no longer has the appetite to support Ukraine militarily for as long as it takes. Instead, it is willing to use Ukraine’s dependency on the US for military aid to effectively force Ukraine into reaching a deal with Russia as soon as possible, even if it means ceding large swaths of territory.

Even if the upcoming peace is unjust, as long as the fighting stops, Washington seems willing to settle for that.

Worse, another superpower close to home is increasingly showing intransigence. China’s military and pseudo-military actions in the South China Sea, undertaken to enforce its illegal nine-dash line claim against Southeast Asian claimants, continue to threaten the delicate peace in a vital maritime waterway traversed by approximately one-third of global shipping.

Ukraine’s tale should serve as a warning about what could happen in a potential conflict in the South China Sea.

The US is now widely regarded as a key security provider in the South China Sea, and is expected to support the Southeast Asian claimants, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam, in their efforts to counter China’s illegal maritime expansionism and ensure that the naval waterway remains open for global shipping.

Moreover, US commitments to the Philippines are more specific and wide-ranging given the latter’s status as a US treaty ally, meaning that the US is obliged to defend the Philippines in the event of an attack.