Putin and His Wartime Strategy
Today, the entire world worries about the fall of Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital city. However, many things go beyond what the naked eye can see. Analysts have termed the Russia-Ukraine war as the battle of might and wills between Moscow and Western European countries on the fate of Ukraine. As these events unfold, everyone looking at the conflict must put one thing into consideration: Vladimir Putin has never lost any war in his era as president of Russia.
That is quite shocking because when one looks at the track record of the United States, we see quite a different picture. We hate to think about it but Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, Iraq, and the various covert wars that the US is in today has not been something to write home about, unfortunately.
How does Putin’s strategy differ? Why hasn’t he lost a war?
The Various Recent Conflicts Russia Has Been Involved In
Putin has led Russia in other conflicts like Crimea, Chechnya, Syria, and Georgia. Looking at these battles, Putin has always held a strategy that brings him nothing less than victory. In particular, military and Russian experts have revealed that Vladimir Putin’s success is firmly attributed to his tactical might to give his military forces clear and achievable objectives whenever they go to the battleground. It would be far from the truth to think that Putin would adopt a different strategy even in the current conflict.
Of course, this war has become a bit more complex due to the nature of social media, organization, and the unprecedented sanctions. Russian stocks have dropped like a rock, the Ruble, too. It is hard to win a war if you have no cash and if you witness a growing lack support.
Russian Forces Advance On
The Russian head of state continued with the attack against Ukraine despite receiving repeated warnings from Washington DC and intensive military buildup along the borders of Ukraine. Putin ignored the signals sent by the West and unleashed a pre-dawn bombing campaign on February 24. A few days after the Winter Olympics ended in the capital of China.
To date, Russian tanks and military troops are swiftly moving towards Kyiv after the fierce battles in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv. The intense fighting around Chernobyl cannot be ignored.
The Source of Conflict?
Putin’s invasion of Ukraine is only meant to upset the post-Cold War security and geopolitical stability enjoyed in Europe, centered on Moscow’s fury in the face of the ever-expanding NATO alliance in the region. Currently, President Volodymyr Zelensky has shown his position as an anti-Moscow administrator.
Putin is furious about Ukraine’s thoughts on joining NATO and is ready to use military aggression to foresee the installment of a political settlement that will put a Moscow-friendly government. Putin might obtain a positive answer considering that President Volodymyr had indicated that he was considering Moscow’s invitation sent on February 25 to initiate neutrality talks in Belarus. There is a tendency that Vladimir Putin will only withdraw his military troops and end the conflict if the conversation goes as planned.
Even though Ukraine is not a member of NATO, the thoughts of joining this alliance any time soon like the other members of the old Soviet bloc should be perceived as a thorn in Russia’s side. Putin is not ready to let this happen. This explains why he has shown a lot of defiance in the face of sanctions from its key trade allies. In essence, Putin’s aggression sends a clear message among the old Soviet members of the looming repercussions if they get too cozy with the west.
Again, these are unprecedented sanctions. The country has experienced significant economic loss over the past few weeks. Has Putin considered all of this as a part of his calculus? Was this actions the best move with regard to self defense?
