Nobody could say Russia’s assault on Ukraine came without notice, as frightening as it was.
For weeks, troops had been massing near the border. Long before then, Russia had already been sending out signals for years.
This happened not only in Eastern Ukraine, but also in Georgia, Crimea, and, most notably, Syria. Russian acts were met with tolerance, if not outright indifference, with the world watching.
It’s Been Tough For Russia
Today, the international community is united in its support for Ukraine.
Russia’s economy has been battered by a barrage of western sanctions. Hundreds of millions of dollars in state-of-the-art western equipment have been sent to Ukraine to improve and strengthen its defense.
Russia’s initial military aims have been decisively defeated, with thousands of people killed and many more wounded, as well as enormous losses in hardware. Since the end of the Cold War, Russia has not encountered such a solid wall of opposition.
The Russian military was generally regarded as an ineffectual husk of the Soviet one through the 1990s and into the 21st century. Chechnya was the "exhibit A," and the 2008 Russo-Georgian War didn't show any great deal of improvement. pic.twitter.com/x9SsNkLvDf
— Armchair Warlord (@ArmchairW) April 29, 2022
This is something the United States and its western allies should be proud of. However, we must accept that Russia felt justified in invading Ukraine in the first instance.
The war has uprooted 11 million residents, murdered thousands, and left significant areas of Ukraine in ruins. The international public’s reaction to Russian aggression has been tepid at best for years. Our inactivity has laid the way for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a major part.
Vladimir Putin’s aspirations are far from sated, and the fight is far from over.
As the West examines how to restrict Russia and resist the next attack, we must first comprehend the messages Russia has already delivered, then draw the most helpful lessons possible from its terrible, fatal seven-year involvement in Syria.
This Isn’t The Entire Conflict
The crisis in Ukraine appears to be moving into a new phase.
While our united front with Ukrainians may have triumphed in the first round, we must not get carried away.
In the end, what we’ve seen so far is more than likely just the first volley in what might be — or already has been — a long-running fight in which Moscow may still have the upper hand.
Syria demonstrates the Kremlin’s ability to adjust in the face of hardship and play the long game.
Russians living in Cyprus have organized another motorcade in support of Putin’s war against Ukraine.
Local residents in Limassol were furious and threw whatever objects they had on balconies at the cars with Russian flags.
🇨🇾🇺🇦pic.twitter.com/6elGO6LuFV
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) April 28, 2022
The early phase of Russia’s military engagement in Syria, like Russia’s most recent drive in Ukraine, ran into significant roadblocks.
Under General Aleksandr Dvornikov’s direction, Russia first engaged in Syria from the air, launching a merciless air campaign targeting Syrian opposition groups that challenged Bashar al-very Assad’s regime’s existence.
The Kremlin anticipated that by striking Syrian regime forces from the air, it could shift the tide on the battlefield, but that didn’t succeed.
Syrian ground forces have mostly failed to capitalize on their newly acquired Russian air help. In the end, a multi-front struggle in Syria proved unsustainable. Russia had no choice but to adapt.
