Since I wrote Russia
at War: A Review of From Russia with Blood, The Times of London has also published an article on the larger picture of Russia's war with
the West under Putin. The Times writes,
“Russia is at war with
the West. It uses propaganda, economic coercion, military saber-rattling,
extraterritorial killings and diplomatic pressure to systematically undermine
the rules-based international order. It also wages “lawfare”, abusing international
legal co-operation and law-enforcement institutions.
Since coming to power
in 2000, Vladimir Putin has built an authoritarian kleptocracy in Russia. In
this system, elections, and political institutions have been hollowed out, the
judiciary is supine and several critical journalists and political opponents
have been killed.
The system is based on
predation and corruption....“
The West needs the
resolve to recognize and respond to Russia’s asymmetric war. As
I wrote, measures already enacted and those under
consideration are needed to blunt Russia’s aggression, but they are
insufficient by themselves. Russian aggression is wider-ranging in means.
Knowing Putin’s game plan, the West cannot afford to fight a limited or solely
defensive asymmetric war. The West needs a proportionate response that
demonstrates that for every action there will be an equal and like response
that disrupts Russia at war.
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