Four capitals, four wins, one catch. Crimea, Hormuz, Venezuela, and Colombia all crowned a winner this week. None proved they can govern what they took.

--

A clock is running over Crimea. A ceasefire is coming apart in the Strait of Hormuz. And in two capitals across our own hemisphere, Washington is finally collecting the partners it always wanted. This week the wins stack up fast. The trouble is that none of them look like governing yet.

We chase one thread through four capitals, because the same story keeps repeating in four different languages. A short campaign with a deadline. A deal two sides read as opposite documents. A strongman pulled out of his palace. A newcomer squeaking into office by a fraction of a point. Four headlines, one snag: the moment you win is not the moment you are in charge.

The thread is not subtle once you see it. Russia keeps invoking a deal that was never signed. Iran and the United States each tell the truth about their own copy of one that is falling apart. Washington removed the man in Caracas and left the machine humming behind him. And in Bogotá, a president-elect with almost nobody behind him in Congress is already warning legislators not to get in his way.