The West’s junior partners are drifting into dangerous territory

... mass mobilization. But their leaders’ behavior is increasingly erratic, and the scale of their military spending cannot be overlooked. Meanwhile, the United States treats their anxieties as useful leverage while focusing on its broader rivalry with China. Washington sees little downside: if Western Europeans pick a fight with Russia, or Japan does so with China, it imagines it will not bear the direct consequences. This may be a dangerous illusion. For Russia and China, the actions of their anxious neighbors matter regardless of who whispers ...