Members of Ukraine’s Territorial Defence Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, train in a city park in Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 22. Photo: AP

Andrew Sheng

Ukraine and Taiwan tensions: no rational US leader wants war, but could America be dragged into one?

On all counts, the costs of armed conflict far outweigh any benefits, especially with the US still reeling from its shambolic Afghanistan withdrawal

But war is irrational, and miscalculations and any attempt by a smaller power to ‘free ride’ on the US security umbrella could lead to accidents

Andrew Sheng

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Published: 3:30am, 29 Jan, 2022

Updated: 5:14am, 29 Jan, 2022

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Members of Ukraine’s Territorial Defence Forces, volunteer military units of the Armed Forces, train in a city park in Kyiv, Ukraine, on January 22. Photo: AP

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Ukraine and Taiwan tensions: no rational US leader wants war, but could America be dragged into one?

On all counts, the costs of armed conflict far outweigh any benefits, especially with the US still reeling from its shambolic Afghanistan withdrawal But war is irrational, and miscalculations and any attempt by a smaller power to ‘free ride’ on the US security umbrella could lead to accidents

On all counts, the costs of armed conflict far outweigh any benefits, especially with the US still reeling from its shambolic Afghanistan withdrawal

But war is irrational, and miscalculations and any attempt by a smaller power to ‘free ride’ on the US security umbrella could lead to accidents