JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin’s Forever War: How the Invasion Empowers Russia’s President” – Foreign Affairs/ Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Erica Frantz

“… Given the apparent impasse, the question becomes how long will the two leaders opt to fight. The reason that Zelensky and his country keep fighting is clear: if they do not, Ukraine as it is will cease to exist. … [And] Zelensky … cannot be confident that Putin will not merely agree to a settlement today but then simply regroup and attack again tomorrow. …. Putin[] … remains committed to the idea that Russia and Ukraine are one country. … Critically, the United States needs to … make tangible commitments of abiding support. … Ukraine could use these resources to expel Russian forces entirely …. But even if it cannot completely win on the battlefield …. Kyiv’s ability to credibly threaten to retake territory is important in shaping Putin’s calculus because it provides an unambiguous signal of his incompetence … one the Kremlin cannot as readily manipulate for domestic audiences. … Putin could see it as in his interest to avoid the domestic risks that come with a decisive defeat and negotiate an end that falls well short of his war aims. In such a scenario, the United States and Europe must be ready to provide Ukraine with a robust security guarantee — ideally, NATO membership — that would ensure that Russia does not try to invade again. … For now, Putin has no incentive to stop fighting. … Ukraine must either end the war for him or threaten Putin with a defeat … so unambiguous that he sees it as a matter of self-preservation to negotiate.”

Click here for: “Putin’s Forever War: How the Invasion Empowers Russia’s President” – Foreign Affairs/ Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Erica Frantz