The Implications of a Successful Spring Offensive

“War is when two states are at war” – “We do not have a war, we have a circus. With clowns in uniform and without. They don't even know how to fight, and they can't decide to declare war on the enemy.” So said Girkin, (or Igor Ivanovich Strelkov to give his full name), a Russian army veteran and former FSB officer who played a key role in the annexation of Crimea by Russia, and later the war in Donbas as an organizer of militant groups in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic (DPR). But how far have Putin’s expertise in hybrid warfare, disinformation, and Active Measures around the world, softened responses to Russia, and changed the landscape of International Relations? What role do economy expediency, war fatigue and indifference play to the advantage of Russia as war drags on?
Volodymyr Dubovyk, is Associate Professor of International Relations and Director of the Centre for International Studies at Mechnikov National University in Odesa, Ukraine. Visiting professor at Tufts. LINKS: https://sites.tufts.edu/fletcherrussia/tag/volodymyr-dubovyk/
https://www.newsweek.com/putin-forces-clowns-dont-know-how-fight-1795691