JRL NEWSWATCH: “Is the West deceiving itself about Russia’s ‘defeat’ in Ukraine?” – The Spectator (UK)
“… [T]he embarrassing underperformance of the Russian military in Ukraine and the bite of Western sanctions suggest that Putin is no genius mastermind strategist but a risk taker who has bitten off more than he can chew. … [T]he West has also made a dangerous gamble of its own: expecting that it can stay out of the war and also get the outcome that we all want, namely a decisive Russian defeat and a downfall of Putin’s regime. … A ‘stalemate’ does not mean the end of the conflict[] … [but] likely … a long war of attrition, in which the rest of Ukraine is slowly reduced … to rubble … in which increased Russian brutality towards civilians acts as a substitute for tactical advances. …”
Among other points, the author also argues that, by not being more involved, the West also will be in less of a position to weigh in on decisions made by Ukrainian leaders.