The war in Ukraine is turning into a farce. But, behind this curtain, Russia’s real desperation is becoming increasingly visible.
Lord Palmerston once joked that in the war between Denmark and Prussia in 1864, only three people understood why it started: one died, one went mad, and the third forgot. If that conflict ever seemed the height of strategic absurdity, Russia’s war against Ukraine has surpassed even that, writes geopolitical strategist Mark Brolin in an article for The Telegraph.
Let’s analyze the behavior of the main actors.
Let’s start with Putin’s team, which sought to demonstrate strength and strategic skill by occupying Ukraine. And what has this turned out to be? Surrounded by 19th-century advisers, the Kremlin leader has become so disconnected from reality that Moscow’s sphere of influence has shrunk from the Middle East to Central Asia and Europe. Finland and Sweden have joined NATO, and Russia itself is increasingly becoming a vassal state of China.
Losing Western oil markets, Moscow, despite all its claims of “armed power”, managed to conquer only a small part of Ukrainian territory – at the cost of colossal human and economic losses, without any convincing explanation as to why the largest country in the world needed a few hundred more square kilometers.
Next is Ukraine and President Zelenski. There is nothing surprising about Kiev’s heroic struggle to liberate its own territory. Another question is how Ukraine is trying to keep America in the game. Kiev often formulates its sharp demand: help now, otherwise the consequences will be catastrophic, up to the risk of a Third World War. But modern Russia is a dwarf compared to the United States in all respects, except for nuclear warheads, which even Putin would not dare to use. Exaggerating Russia’s power does not help Ukraine in the American information space, notes The Telegraph.
Details, HERE