BLUF
In a 2023/24 address at the Center for International Studies (CIS), John Mearsheimer argued that misguided U.S. policies, particularly NATO expansion, have only strengthened the alliance between Russia and China. He contended that in a multipolar world, the U.S. must acknowledge its limitations and shift its strategic priorities away from Ukraine and Israel, directing more attention to the growing threat posed by China in Asia.
Conversely, Niall Ferguson, speaking at the 2024 CIS Consilium on the Gold Coast, offered a different perspective. He asserted that the U.S. has failed to deter an aggressive Putin and emphasized that the U.S. and its allies, including Australia, now face a formidable coalition of China, Russia, and Iran. Ferguson argued that if Washington aims to effectively contain China, it must also address the challenges posed by Russia and Iran.
