There is also the matter of Putin getting the West wrong. We in Washington hardly have a monopoly on misguided assumptions being a driving factor in international affairs. Many indicators suggest, in fact, that they were a major reason that this war happened. Putin not only failed to understand that Ukrainians would stand and fight against his aggression; he also failed to foresee the U.S. and its NATO allies remaining united and funding the Ukrainian resistance. Moscow’s bogus annexation of more Ukrainian territory seems likely to produce only more Western sanctions—and the possible extension of the war that Putin looks increasingly like he is losing. “The problem is, of course, us misreading him, but also him misreading us,” Hill observed.
Nuclear brinksmanship between a wounded, sulking Russian dictator and an increasingly alarmed NATO alliance—with Ukraine trapped in the middle—is just about a worst-case scenario for a world that hardly needs another crisis. Will Washington stay the course? ♦
amzan Kadyrov, the leader of the southern Chechnya region who describes himself as a footsoldier of Putin, said he felt he had to speak out after the loss of the territory.
"In my personal opinion, more drastic measures should be taken, right up to the declaration of martial law in the border areas and the use of low-yield nuclear weapons," Kadyrov wrote on Telegram.
Other top Putin allies, including former president Dmitry Medvedev, have suggested Russia may need to resort to nuclear weapons, but Kadyrov's call was the most urgent and explicit.
LOL, this is so much Monday morning quarterbacking! The US intelligence community said Kiev would be captured in three days and Ukraine would fall. Most of Europe and the press agreed with the analysis.
Now everyone is saying Russia never had a chance. Please, wars are complicated and emotions are a very big part of it. Russia, the world, and most importantly Putin found out his thousands of tanks hadn't been maintained properly and when stranded on a raised highway made very good targets for man portable antitank missiles.
This delay also gave time for Europe and America to send billions in military and financial aid. If this hadn't happened, Ukraine would have fallen.
Thomas Sowell: There are no solutions, just trade-offs.
Too late. The last minute appropriations bill to avoid a government shutdown included $12.3 billion for Ukraine.
Interesting way the Gen Milley is waging war, paying proxies to fight for us.
