Lawrence H. Summers, a professor at and past president of Harvard University, was treasury secretary from 1999 to 2001 and an economic adviser to President Barack Obama from 2009 through 2010. Philip D. Zelikow, a lawyer and a history professor at the University of Virginia, held foreign-policy posts in five administrations. Robert B. Zoellick has served as president of the World Bank, U.S. trade representative and deputy secretary of state.

Russia's assault on Ukraine has become a brutal war of attrition — militarily but also economically and socially. Russian President Vladimir Putin recognizes the nature of this struggle. Ukraine, having lost one-third of its GDP, with one-third of its population already displaced and the lights flickering on and off, could win battles and still lose the war.