Despite ISIS claiming responsibility for the attack, the Russian leadership has repeatedly blamed Ukraine and its Western backers.
From Mr. Putin's perspective, escalation in Ukraine involving an intensification of attacks on Ukrainian troops across the front lines […] makes a lot of sense.
After his landslide victory in this month's rubber-stamp presidential election, Mr. Putin is more secure than ever in his position and free to focus fully on the war effort.
With Western military support for Kyiv mired in uncertainty, the next few months offer Moscow a window of opportunity for new offensives.
[
add
]
[
|
|
...
]