July 30, 2024, 3:02 am
In the 1990s, Russia was no threat to the West and was incapable of serious military action. But "if humiliated further and made desperate," Harries warned, "it could become dangerous in a way that a wounded animal can be dangerous." Its potential to be a troublemaker was huge.
Today, the chickens are coming home to roost. Since Russian’s invasion, Ukraine has lost about a third of its population. Much of the country’s infrastructure has been devastated. The average age of the Ukrainian frontline troops is now 43. Worse yet, there are no serious signs of a meaningful peace deal. All of this was avoidable if Western leaders took into account Russia’s strategic sensibilities in the 1990s and thereafter.
Content Creator – Australian Institute of International Affairs
