Putin may swallow his pride and ‘pretend nothing happened’, says analyst
The US government’s decision to allow Ukraine to use the Long Range Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to attack targets inside Russia prompted a number of dire warnings and threats from the Russian government, but it There are considerable doubts about the likelihood that this will lead to a significant escalation of the conflict.
Among those speculating that any Russian response will be limited is Cold War historian Sergei Radchenko, Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.
Like other commentators, he said that few people believed that the attack in the Kursk region would change the outcome of this war.
“But if Ukraine is ultimately allowed to use these missiles more broadly, it could at least deter attacks on Russia’s energy infrastructure, perhaps by threatening retaliation against similar targets deep inside Russia.” You can do it,” he wrote in The Spectator.
He said the United States “must commit to staying in the game indefinitely,” which echoes President Donald Trump’s stated desire to quickly oversee the Ukraine-Russia deal. It’s a contradiction.
Radchenko said: “The idea that the war could be ended on reasonable terms within just a few days, or even months, is a kind of wishful thinking, a desire to ‘end’ relations with Ukraine. It reflects that.”
“The problem is that Putin doesn’t play in the short term. He’s committed to this war, and he’s not going to take the opportunity to end it through compromise, even as ATACMS rains down.”
He added: “However, the Russian president, contrary to all his propaganda claims, is not in fact at war with the West, and as US intelligence has suggested, Russia is not at war with Western bases and infrastructure.” “They are well aware that by targeting them, they are bringing this war into their own hands.” That could be extremely dangerous for a country that performed badly on the battlefield in Ukraine.
“Putin may decide it’s safer to swallow his pride and pretend nothing happened. After all, this won’t be the first time his bluff has been called into question.”
