Ukraine (thread 1), Episode 8: Polk's Compass: Reading the Russia-Ukraine War Through 19th-Century Eyes

This episode imagines how President James K. Polk — a 19th-century expansionist and strategic realist — would interpret the Russia-Ukraine war. It explains Polk's priorities: defending territorial integrity, using decisive but limited measures, and grounding support in clear national interest rather than moral rhetoric.

Polk would favor arming and backing Ukraine as a means to contain Russian power, avoid direct military intervention, and insist on narrowly defined objectives to prevent mission creep. The episode contrasts his pragmatic, results-oriented foreign policy with modern ideological framings of the conflict.