‘In war,” the saying goes, “the enemy gets a vote.” As the Ukrainian war enters another brutal week, American views about it are coalescing. Prudence suggests that we consider whether our adversaries see developments as we do. Here are seven commonly expressed views on which our adversaries may have a different take.
Unable to seize Ukrainian cities, Putin shells them as an act of desperation. Perhaps, but the shelling might rather be an act of policy. Russian forces may be stalled by awful logistics or President Zelensky’s defiance, but once he faced stout Ukrainian resistance, Putin might well have chosen to pound the cities from outside before sending his troops into defended alleyways. In 1945, Putin’s hero, Stalin, took control over rubble-strewn Central Europe more easily because survivors prioritized survival over resistance. Massive shelling of cities was Putin’s way in Syria and Grozny, too. Civilian flight also eases Putin’s future troubles and burdens the West. While democracies shun wanton brutality, Putin evidently embraces the fear it inspires.
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