Putin Wouldn’t Win a War of Attrition in Ukraine

He wants the West to think that’s his goal, but the longer the conflict drags on, the worse things get for Moscow.

Review and Outlook: The best response to Russia's attack on a U.S. drone is to send Ukraine long-range missiles. Images: AP/Dept. of Defense Composite: Mark Kelly

Vladimir Putin seeks to prevail in Ukraine through an exhausting war of attrition in which he outlasts his opponents, or so the expert consensus has it. The U.S. is supplying weapons to Ukraine at a remarkably slow pace, perhaps for fear of provoking a calamitous Russian escalation. It seems as if Washington is playing right into Mr. Putin’s hands.

But maybe not everything is as it seems. If I learned anything from decades as a Russian-speaking Central Intelligence Agency operations officer working against the Kremlin’s intelligence services, it was to be wary of anything they show you. This looks to me too convenient a narrative for Moscow, and one that’s belied by the facts.

Opinion

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