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Even With Military’s Underperformance, Kremlin Likely to Achieve Land Grab: US Security Expert, It's Only a Matter of Time
Epoch Times ^ | 03/12/2022 | Masooma Haq and Steve Lance

Posted on 03/12/2022 7:25:55 PM PST by SeekAndFind

Jim Hanson, a retired member of the U.S. Army Special Forces and president of the Security Studies Group, said in his assessment, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan in Ukraine is developing according to the Kremlin’s initial goals, except that the Russian military is floundering.

“I’ve known what his ultimate goal was from the beginning, and it was to gain recognition for Crimea, to take official control of the two Russian-speaking provinces, and at that point, to use a further incursion into Ukraine proper as a bargaining chip to get sanctions removed,” Hanson told the host of NTD’s Capitol Report, Steve Lance, in a March 8 interview.

“I think this is playing out pretty much as Vlad expected, except for the fact that his military vastly underperformed.” He said that Ukraine has been using the anti-aircraft equipment it has to undermine Russia’s military.

“What they also have, though, is the Russians have been not particularly good at the tactics they’ve been using. I mean, one of the more famous shots is an attack helicopter being ambushed. And you can’t ambush an attack helicopter unless it’s flying a route you knew it was going to be on.”

“So, I think the Russians are making some mistakes. And I think the technology and the capabilities that Ukraine had and has been given have made it a lot more dangerous for the Russians to think they can fly unopposed.”

Hanson said the offer from Poland, a NATO member, to give fighter jets to the United States, who would, in turn, give those jets to Ukraine, is making the war more dangerous.

“It absolutely heightens tensions between the U.S. and Russia because … at some level, those are NATO aircraft. I mean, Poland can give them to Ukraine and say, ‘Well, this is outside of our function as a NATO member.’ Putin does not see it that way and does not have to see it that way, and I think that vastly increases the danger.”

Hanson sees the Kremlin’s demands to take Crimea and the two provinces of Luhansk and Donetsk like an off-ramp to the war, as the land Putin is asking for is already either aligned with Russia or under its control.

“Crimea is definitely part of Russia at this point, for all intents and purposes, the two Russian-speaking provinces were in everything but name, and now they’re asking for independence. And at that point, if they’re independent, they will almost certainly join the Russian Federation.”

Hanson said another of Putin’s demands is that Ukraine not join NATO. So far, Ukraine has turned down Russia’s demands. Hanson believes Ukrainians have shown Putin they will not submit to his violent attempts to take their country.

“I don’t believe it really ever was [Putin’s] goal to take and keep Ukraine, because I can’t imagine many places other than Afghanistan that would have a more powerful and dangerous insurgency if you managed to topple their government.”

Hanson said if Russia did try to occupy Ukraine, they would “keep it at a very, very high cost in blood and treasure.”



TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Russia
KEYWORDS: armchairgeneral; exmilitaryexpert; hereadspurinsmind; invasion; jimhanson; ooglyboogly; russia; ukraine
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To: Georgia Girl 2

RE: Yes, but that’s highly unlikely. The Ukraine is broke

Ukraine has undeveloped wealth aplenty. Gas, agriculture, minerals, etc.

Given the right leadership ( the arrogant Putin probably thinks he is the one ), there’s no reason why he can’t use Ukraine’s potential wealth as a bargaining chip.


61 posted on 03/13/2022 8:35:57 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

It is still the consensus analysis, that Russia can dominate in the Ukraine by force, but the cost keeps climbing, the longer the Ukrainians resist, and the West supports them.

It seems to me that the Biden Administration has been careful to keep aid to the Ukrainians below the level that might actually change the outcome. Not in it to win it, just doing enough to cover their butts from criticism that could hurt them politically.


62 posted on 03/13/2022 9:47:24 AM PDT by BeauBo
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To: rrrod

I wonder how all the Rusian-Americans are doing now?

Will this insane media-driven prejudice against them result in attacks,
like the current attacks on Asian-Americans?


63 posted on 03/13/2022 11:04:59 AM PDT by miserare ( Respect for life--life of all kinds-- is the first principle of civilization.~~A. Schweitzer.)
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To: caww

Mariapol has been taken.

The pictures today are horrible.


64 posted on 03/13/2022 11:07:26 AM PDT by miserare ( Respect for life--life of all kinds-- is the first principle of civilization.~~A. Schweitzer.)
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To: miserare

In my retirement area there are lots of Russians. I’ve not seen many since the Co vid BS but none have ever said a good word about Putin. We used to have social get togethers but not lately.


65 posted on 03/13/2022 1:32:10 PM PDT by rrrod (6)
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To: SeekAndFind

When the old Soviet Union was still in existence their satellite countries were a huge drain financially. Putin does not want that back.

Putin wants the NATO bases gone, NATO bio weapons labs gone, the Khasarian mafia gone and all their money laundering and gun and drug running gone.


66 posted on 03/13/2022 3:53:42 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: miserare

I’m not surprised Mariupol was hammered. I’ll reserve why that was so.


67 posted on 03/13/2022 7:37:03 PM PDT by caww ( )
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To: BeauBo; SeekAndFind; All

Maybe not “in it to win it,” but so long as Putin doesn’t win, he looses.


68 posted on 03/14/2022 12:49:10 AM PDT by gleeaikin (ould the , vitamins,Question authority!)
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