Foreign Affairs invites you to listen to its podcast, The Foreign Affairs Interview. This episode with General Mark Milley was originally published on May 2, 2023.

As the Biden administration continues to provide massive amounts of military and economic support to Ukraine, it also has its eyes on China. What will it take to deter Beijing from attempting to seize Taiwan someday? What is the best strategy to avoid a great-power conflict? How can the United States maintain its technological edge on the battlefield?

These are the questions that occupy the Pentagon’s leadership, including U.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Before becoming chairman, the president’s top military adviser, he served as chief of staff of the U.S. Army. He has deployed all over the world, including multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.

We discuss the battlefield dynamics in Ukraine, how concern over escalation has shaped Western support for Kyiv, and how the United States can avoid a great-power war in the future.

SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE:

“What’s Really Going on Between Russia and China” by Alexander Gabuev
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united...

“How China Could Save Putin’s War in Ukraine” by Liana Fix and Michael Kimmage
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/...

“The Myth of Multipolarity” by Stephen G. Brooks and William C. Wohlforth
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united...

“The West Needs a New Strategy in Ukraine” by Richard Haass and Charles Kupchan
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/ukrain...

“Don’t Panic About Taiwan” by Jessica Chen Weiss
https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/...