The war in Ukraine has been a clarifying moment on many fronts around the world, especially in exposing the global costs of America’s foreign policy in the Middle East. America’s support for abusive and authoritarian governments, including arms and political support for their vicious and unlawful war crimes, while attacking global mechanisms for accountability to protect these governments, now undermines the legal, moral and political support the US needs to garner support for the war in Ukraine. At the same time, the governments supported by the U.S. have evolved into their own independent power bloc with no loyalty or commitment to supporting U.S. interests while wielding increasing influence on the American government through election interference and campaign financing corruption. This evolution is likely to dramatically increase the power of authoritarian governments in the region, while minimizing what little leverage the US believed it had. The people in the region will as usual pay the greatest price for this evolution.