Speaking of smelling blood in the water, Vladimir Putin finished his tour of the Middle East and returned home to ramp up his attack on Ukraine. Russia was already making slow but steady advances in the eastern part of the country, but now Putin is injecting new resources into its efforts to target the infrastructure of the eastern oblasts, aiming to lock down portions of the country that Ukraine had hoped to retake. According to an updated summary from the Associated Press, events in the United States and Western Europe are fueling Putin’s ambitions. The Russians believe that the global focus on the war in Gaza has led to a collapse in support for Ukraine and they will likely have more freedom to press the offensive through the winter months. Analysts familiar with the thinking of Russia’s leadership appear to agree.
After blunting Ukraine’s counteroffensive from the…
