At the same time, Russia’s room for action is decreasing as it is drained of economic, military, and human resources, notes Heier.
“Russia also knows that it is inferior to the West. Measured in economic, military, and diplomatic power, Russia is a mosquito compared with the USA and NATO. However, the Russians have two advantages: They possess many more nuclear weapons than the West. And they know that they are far tougher than the USA and the West when it comes to scaring the decision-makers in the opposite camp, through measures such as sabotage operations or with drones, fighter jets, and nuclear weapons.”
Yet, this strategy is not working as Moscow would want.
“The more the Russians scare, the stronger the inner unity of most NATO countries,” the professor points out and continues:
“Therefore, there is something irrational and ‘Russian’ over Putin’s approach: Russia believes it will win by demanding respect and force Western obedience. But the reality is the exact opposite. Despite increasing Russian escalation along the NATO border, the support for Ukraine only increases because more and more people, also within the Trump Administration, is starting to understand that peace will only come when Putin is forced to it.”