The conventional wisdom is that Vladimir Putin catastrophically miscalculated. He thought Russian-speaking Ukrainians would welcome his troops. They didn’t. He thought he’d swiftly depose Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s government. He hasn’t. He thought he’d divide NATO. He’s united it. He thought he had sanction-proofed his economy. He’s wrecked it. He thought the Chinese would help him out. They’re hedging their bets.
Bret Stephens: What if Putin didn’t miscalculate?
April 5, 2022