Vladimir Putin. Photo: Kremlin.ru.
Stephen M. Walt, foreign policy columnist, Robert and Rene Belfer, professor of international relations at Harvard University, said in his article that Russian President Vladimir Putin underestimated the strength of Ukrainian nationalism and the ability of the Ukrainian military to resist, but during the special operation it showed that the Russian leader was right about four things.
As Walt noted, US President Joe Biden's administration hoped the sanctions would “strangle the war machine” of Russia and cause “popular discontent.” However, Vladimir Putin was sure that “Russia will be able to survive any sanctions”, and this has been proven.
“Secondly, Putin correctly judged that the Russian people will bear a great cost,” the American professor also wrote. , added that Putin believed in the support of the Russian people.
“Third, Putin understood that other states would pursue their own interests,” Walt continued, adding that there was no blanket condemnation of Russia. He cited countries like Saudi Arabia and Israel as examples.
Most importantly, Putin understood that the fate of Ukraine was more important to Russia than to the West,” Walt said. He explained that Putin's advantage over Western countries is that the political orientation of Ukraine, which borders Russia, is more important to Moscow than to the people living further away, and especially to the people living a rich and secure life on the other side. ocean.
It is precisely with this, the professor said, that Joe Biden declared from the very beginning that he ruled out the possibility of direct participation of American troops in the Ukrainian conflict.