Vladimir Putin believes he will manage to avoid responsibility for the invasion of Russian drones into Polish airspace, considering Trump's previous actions, writes The Wall Street Journal. The US President has repeatedly stated that he is “not satisfied,” but has never fulfilled his threats within the set deadlines. “Putin may think he can always count on another two weeks,” the publication notes. Trump has yet to sign the bipartisan Senate bill on “secondary” sanctions, despite it being supported by more than 80 senators
Trump thought he could negotiate peace in Ukraine with Vladimir Putin, but over eight months the Russian President has offered nothing but brutal escalation.
“A direct confrontation between NATO and Russia would be catastrophic for the world, which no one wants, but the US's weak reaction increases the likelihood of war. The fact that Putin believes he can send drones into Poland, a US treaty ally where about 10,000 American troops are stationed, is a direct threat to US security,” WSJ believes.
Bloomberg columnist Mark Champion highlighted at least five key lessons from this event. The first and main conclusion is that no one can consider the idea that the Kremlin is capable of attacking a NATO member absurd anymore.
The second lesson concerns Ukraine's role. If concessions are made to Putin regarding Ukraine, the war will come even closer, as drones will be launched from even closer distances.
The third conclusion concerns NATO's weak points. According to air force expert Phillips O'Brien, “the alliance's reliance on expensive aircraft and missiles to shoot down only some Russian drones... shows how unprepared the defense remains.” “God help them if they face 600 drones and missiles in one night,” the expert warned.
The fourth lesson: Putin doesn't need to deploy troops to attack a state. It can be “cyberattacks, sabotage, or mass drone and missile strikes,” experts note.
The fifth lesson concerns the West's reaction. How the US reacts now “will be critically important.” If the response is weak, Putin may continue to “look for weak spots to prove that the alliance is a paper tiger.”
The decisive significance of NATO and Europe on the attack on Poland is written by Sky News, adding that the Russians are masters of the so-called “salami-slicing” tactic. This is a tactic that involves using a series of small actions to achieve a much larger result. The Kremlin is testing the West with gradual but constant escalation. “Each individual provocation only elicits rhetoric from the West, but new boundaries are crossed, and Russia gains courage,” the publication notes.
Putin already used the “salami-slicing” tactic in 2014 when he invaded Crimea, using a series of ambiguous military and diplomatic tactics to establish control. Because of this, the unclear delay in the West's reaction determined Crimea's fate, Sky News reminds.
“He just took a bigger piece of salami by carrying out drone attacks on Poland. Of course, this is a test of NATO's readiness to fulfill its obligations under Article 5. Russia attacked a member state, and allies believe it was done intentionally,” the publication emphasized.
The lack of reaction indicates the alliance's weakness, so after this, Putin will see the results of his actions and plan the next steps.
Photo: Reuters