Putin’s Ukraine War Is Entering a Terrifying New Phase
A discussion on Russia’s evolving military strategy with Mark Galeotti, author of Putin’s Wars.
What’s his next move?
Photographer: Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images
Who is winning in Ukraine? That may seem an odd question, given the disastrous performance of the Russian military, the success of the Ukrainian offensive this fall, and the strength of the Western coalition in supporting Kyiv and punishing Moscow. But wars aren’t that simple, and the global implications of this regional conflict make it more complex than most. Then, of course, there is Vladimir Putin. The Russian leader, we are constantly told, “ plays a weak hand well.” So, what does he have up his sleeve?
It’s a question I put to Mark Galeotti, the author of a new book, Putin's Wars: From Chechnya to Ukraine, and a public policy fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington, DC. He has advised the UK government on foreign policy, is a fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, and the principal director of the Mayak Intelligence political risk consultancy. Here is a lightly edited transcript of our discussion:
Tobin Harshaw: Early in the new book, you raise the question, “Who is Vladimir Putin?” How would you answer that in one sentence?