About Russian Vs Ukraine

Russia’s military adventure in Ukraine has been a disaster. It has killed thousands of civilians, destroyed homes, schools, hospitals and cultural sites in areas occupied by the Kremlin’s forces, and committed a litany of abuses that could constitute war crimes. And, in a clear violation of international humanitarian law, Russian or Russia-affiliated forces have used indiscriminate and disproportionate bombing and shelling to terrorize the population and to destabilize public order.

The Kremlin’s gamble was that enough Ukrainians, particularly in the largely Russian-speaking east, would embrace some form of reintegration into Russia’s sphere of influence because of shared cultural, linguistic, religious and other ties. It is a calculation that has proved spectacularly wrong.

Moreover, the conflict has created new risks for China. As the United States focuses on limiting Russia’s success within Ukraine, Beijing is well positioned to take advantage of Washington’s withdrawal from the region and to pursue its own strategic ambitions in Asia.

Moscow also failed to anticipate the political will among Western democracies to oppose its strategy of “hybrid warfare.” They united behind a set of tough economic and trade sanctions against Putin, his oligarchs, and their companies. And, despite high energy prices, the strain of hosting millions of refugees, and concerns about how long the conflict might last, European support for Ukraine has not waned. Even the Kremlin’s hints of nuclear escalation have not weakened Western resolve. Against this backdrop, the West has no choice but to maintain its pressure on Russia in all forums and to offer Ukraine increased weapons and defensive capabilities.