Intimidation is Putin’s signature style — much like a thug in a dark alley “testing” an intellectual who cannot fight back. Putin openly declares that he is at war with NATO, with the West. His ultimate goal is the destruction of the entire system of international security and the destabilization of the NATO alliance. He dreams of portraying NATO as a hollow structure incapable of fulfilling its mission. His calculation is simple: mentally, the West is not at war. For Western elites — and largely for those of Eastern Europe as well — this is still seen as a war of Russia against Ukraine.
On one side, we see a country prepared for a long, large-scale war. On the other — a Europe that is complacent and unwilling to face reality. What is unfolding is a global confrontation between Western civilization and the bloc of dictatorships. Until Europe demonstrates real determination to firmly resist Russian aggression, provocations will continue to escalate — and with each new cycle, their scale will grow larger and larger.
Unfortunately, Europe’s sluggish reaction leads me to believe that there is a high probability that by the end of this year or early next year, drones carrying explosive payloads will appear over the Baltic states. The weakness of the United States and Europe’s lack of readiness give Putin a sense of impunity — and push him toward his next move.
Ivan Tyutrin
