“Russia has this view of security where anything they do to damage us is relatively speaking good for them because it makes them stronger,” said Keir Giles, a senior consulting fellow at Chatham House. “That in itself is an incentive to do things which are disruptive.”
I think this is clearly true, but it's also true of the US and NATO. Like, the US goal in funding and prolonging the war in Ukraine is --- sometimes explicitly, in the beginning --- simply to damage Russia. It's not as if there's any realistic strategic objective for Ukraine that this US funding will allow them to achieve. It's just that drawing out the war damages Russia.
I think this is clearly true, but it's also true of the US and NATO. Like, the US goal in funding and prolonging the war in Ukraine is --- sometimes explicitly, in the beginning --- simply to damage Russia. It's not as if there's any realistic strategic objective for Ukraine that this US funding will allow them to achieve. It's just that drawing out the war damages Russia.
But also, never trust anyone named Keir.