(Photo: Daniel Leal/AFP/Getty Images)
The Russians have invaded Ukraine. Here's what you need to know about the conflict. James Carafano writes:
The Russian invasion of Ukraine is underway. Now the question is: How bad will it get?
Russian President Vladimir Putin has opted for an all-out invasion that will leave him, one way or another, wiping Ukraine’s sovereignty off the face of the earth. There are 44 million Ukrainians standing in his way—many could well be killed or displaced. Certainly, the country will be ravaged by war.
How far could this escalate? Putin would risk a very great deal by attacking NATO soil. But short of that, there may be few constraints on how far he will go. He could very well use every weapon at his disposal, including tactical nuclear weapons, as Russian tactics permit the first use of nuclear weapons in a theater of operations if deemed necessary.
After Ukraine, there are other places not under NATO protection in Georgia, Moldova, and the Balkans where Putin could expand his aggression.
What about sanctions? There were never any prospects that sanctions or diplomacy would stop Putin. President Joe Biden must have known that. For months he has been peddling a plan his team must have known would fail.
[James Carafano, "Here’s What Americans Need to Know About Ukraine,” The Daily Signal, February 24]
