Tormod Heier: – The war is a real disaster seen from Russian eyes. To the Russian population, Putin is trying to portray the war as a success and a demonstration of strength. In reality, the war is a setback of enormous dimensions.
Most of all for the Ukrainian People is a tragedy.
That is the opinion of Tormod Heier, Lieutenant Colonel in the Norwegian Army, Head of Research at the Staff College and Professor II at the Inland University College.
– It is a high stakes game. Putin may be strengthening his position and uniting Russia, but he is achieving exactly the opposite of his stated goals, and then the security situation for Russia will be even more difficult in the years to come, Heier tells ABC News.
One of Putin's main goals is to demilitarize Ukraine. Instead, Ukraine has built up one of Europe's most effective and resilient armies, supported by a number of NATO countries.
– The whole war is a real disaster seen from Russian eyes. They may get 20 percent of Ukraine, but they will then lose Europe's next largest country. They have also lost all the important buffer states that keep the US and NATO at arm's length, Heier points out, listing Sweden, Finland, Armenia and Syria.
– The more the Russians pursue this strategy, the more unity they create among the enemy they fear the most. This is a brutal truth that I wonder if Putin actually benefits from, because it creates internal Russian unity, which in turn strengthens his position of power in Moscow, Heier explains.
He believes Putin's goal now is to keep the areas they have already occupied, and try to appease Trump without at the same time appearing weak.
– I think the Russian plan is to stabilize the areas they have taken, and then enter into dialogue with Trump. This way, Trump can make Putin appear as a victor in the areas that have been taken so far.
Source: https://www.abcnyheter.no/
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