Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy and gas infrastructure cut power to over 100,000 people and demonstrate continued escalation rather than a move toward peace. The Kremlin has rejected meaningful security guarantees for Ukraine, signaling persistent maximalist objectives under President Vladimir Putin. General (Ret.) Philip Breedlove asserts that U.S. policy failed to deter Russia over the past 11 years, creating a sanctuary that permitted unchecked aggression. In the Middle East, leaders remain unsettled after a 12-day conflict in which Iran launched a large volume of drones and missiles, prompting regional concern about Iran's future actions and implications for partners.
Russia's massive drone attack overnight on six Ukrainian regions, which hit energy and gas transport infrastructure and cut off power to over 100,000 people, is the latest sign that Moscow is nowhere near peace. Coupled with the Kremlin's rejection of meaningful security guarantees for Ukraine, it's clear that President Vladimir Putin is still pursuing his maximalist war goals. That doesn't surprise General (Ret.) Philip Breedlove, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, who said the U.S. has been "completely deterred" by Putin for the last 11 years, across four presidents, which has built a "sanctuary" for Russia and allowed it to escalate in Ukraine unchecked.
I'm in the Middle East now and have been here for almost seven days. I'm in my second capital and we're working through some of the issues that are left over after the 12-day war such as how the Middle East is continuing to react to that and what we expect out of Iran following the pretty good beating they took. And then, what does that mean for our good friends and partners in the Middle East?
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