Is The Repeated Warnings From The West Of An Imminent Russian Invasion Of Ukraine Backfiring?

‘The risk is growing that its president, Vladimir Putin, is being set up to achieve a diplomatic victory through pulling the rug from under the western war scare.’ Photograph: Alexei Nikolsky/AP  

Keir Gilles, The Guardian: The west’s focus on imminent invasion in Ukraine may backfire – and bolster Putin 

Warnings from the US that Russian troops are poised to strike at Ukraine are growing more urgent and strident.

There can be little doubt of the US’s conviction that Ukraine is at imminent risk, and the number of nations advising citizens to leave the country as soon as possible shows that the warnings are at last being considered credible. 

 But the emphasis on near-inevitable war – and the naming of narrow timeframes when it is expected to happen – is also closing down options for the US and its allies, while opening them up for Russia. Moscow still has the initiative, and the risk is growing that its president, Vladimir Putin, is being set up to achieve a diplomatic victory through pulling the rug from under the western war scare. 

There’s been no shortage of speculation over how long Russia can keep its troops on the border without either launching an attack or withdrawing them. But back in November, when Putin first explained the purpose of Russia’s threatening force buildup, he also said it was important for those forces to keep the pressure on “for as long as possible”. Three months on, the question instead is how long the US and its closest allies can keep ratcheting up the warnings of imminent conflict.  

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WNU Editor: It looks like this talk of an imminent invasion is backfiring. Some in Asia are wondering if this is all a sham .... Is the Ukraine ‘crisis’ just another US charade? (Asia Times).