If Western leaders can finally overcome their fear of escalation, they will find that Putin is far less formidable than he pretends to be.
The latest so-called "red lines" set by Kremlin leader Volodymyr Putin directly contradict his own propaganda. In particular, he warns Western leaders against allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russian territory. According to the Russian president, this would mean NATO "entering the war" with Russia. However, such reliance on empty threats only underscores the relative weakness of the dictator’s position.
Atlantic Council researcher, publisher of Business Ukraine and Lviv Today magazines Peter Dickinson writes about this in his column for NV.
"This would mean that NATO countries, the United States and European states are at war with Russia," Dickinson quotes Putin.
According to the analyst, Putin's promise to make "appropriate decisions" is unconvincing.
"Ukraine is already using the weapons in question to strike occupied regions that Putin considers Russian, without provoking any escalation, let alone a war between Russia and NATO. Putin's comments come against the backdrop of increasing speculation that Ukraine's partners are preparing to lift controversial restrictions on the use of long-range Western weaponry that currently prevent strikes on military targets within the Russian Federation. The United States, the United Kingdom, and France have provided Ukraine with long-range missiles but have so far not allowed Kyiv to use them on Russian territory. However, there are growing signs that Western leaders are ready to reconsider their position and give Ukraine the "green light," Dickinson writes.
What Putin's threats of a Third World War mean
The Kremlin leader clearly hopes to intimidate the West and convince Ukraine's allies that it would be wise to maintain the current ban on strikes deep into Russia. At the same time, his attempts to frame this issue as a potential turning point are undermined by his unconvincing reaction, such as to Ukraine's routine use of Western-supplied long-range missiles in areas like Crimea, which Putin has long claimed as part of Russia.
"If the idea of Ukrainian airstrikes on Russian territory truly represents a red line for Moscow, why has it not responded to any of these previous attacks?" Dickinson questions.
The author believes that the obvious inconsistency in Putin's position helps to reveal the realities behind his imperialist claims during the invasion of Ukraine.
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