Secret Planning Kept White House a Step Ahead of Russia

David Ignatius: “The first instruction that Secretary of State Antony Blinken got from President Biden was to ‘reset’ America’s alliances and partnerships abroad so that the United States could deal with the challenges ahead. That strategy would prove decisive in combating Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”

“Blinken and other officials gave me new details this week, describing a series of behind-the-scenes meetings over the past year that helped forge the U.S.-led coalition to support Ukraine. His narrative validates President Dwight D. Eisenhower’s observation in a 1957 speech: ‘Plans are worthless, but planning is everything.’”

“The Biden administration’s secret planning began in April 2021 when Russia massed about 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border. The buildup turned out to be a feint, but Blinken and other officials discussed U.S. intelligence about Russia’s actions with leaders of Britain, France and Germany at a NATO meeting in Brussels that month. Their message was, ‘We need to get ourselves prepared,’ a senior State Department official said.”