In Ukraine, Putin is attempting to strike his own decisive blow against the US and Europe to reshape that global order to Russia’s advantage. Putin’s gamble — backed by military force and grudges — is that he can bend the world to his will. China, with its own territorial ambitions, is watching carefully how much Russia is able to push the boundaries.
“He is sitting right there on his throne, keeping an eye on the entire plot and trying to figure out how he can manipulate and take advantage of every set of international circumstances to push forward,” said Fiona Hill, a former top White House advisor on Russia. “Putin can look like he’s losing colossally, but he’s actually winning — and he’ll think he’s winning.”
Encouraged by Trump, Republican opposition in the US to continuing to arm Ukraine is growing. Billionaire Elon Musk also urged Americans to lobby Congress to oppose funding for Ukraine on Monday, saying there’s “no way in hell” Putin can lose the war.
How Putin got here is a story in three parts, based on previously unreported scenes and conversations with former heads of state, diplomats and senior Kremlin officials spanning more than a decade.
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*From Bloomberg News:*
In Ukraine, Putin is attempting to strike his own decisive blow against the US and Europe to reshape that global order to Russia’s advantage. Putin’s gamble — backed by military force and grudges — is that he can bend the world to his will. China, with its own territorial ambitions, is watching carefully how much Russia is able to push the boundaries.
“He is sitting right there on his throne, keeping an eye on the entire plot and trying to figure out how he can manipulate and take advantage of every set of international circumstances to push forward,” said Fiona Hill, a former top White House advisor on Russia. “Putin can look like he’s losing colossally, but he’s actually winning — and he’ll think he’s winning.”
Encouraged by Trump, Republican opposition in the US to continuing to arm Ukraine is growing. Billionaire Elon Musk also urged Americans to lobby Congress to oppose funding for Ukraine on Monday, saying there’s “no way in hell” Putin can lose the war.
How Putin got here is a story in three parts, based on previously unreported scenes and conversations with former heads of state, diplomats and senior Kremlin officials spanning more than a decade.