Russia's invasion of Ukraine is frequently characterized as part of a broader struggle between democracy and autocracy, a lens that the West also has used to counter Chinese actions. In a Feb. 24 press briefing, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg brought his comments to a close by declaring, "Democracy will always prevail over autocracy. Freedom will always prevail over oppression." Less than a week later, in his first State of the Union address, U.S. President Joe Biden said, "In the battle between democracy and autocracy, democracies are rising to the moment, and the world is clearly choosing the side of peace and security." And more recently, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told France24 that "democracy is standing up against autocracy," highlighting the role the European Union and its partners are playing in countering Russian actions in Ukraine....
