‘ON THE MARCH’: Putin already sees himself at war with the West, Kurt Volker warns

Summary

Two Russian jets were detected in Alaska's air defense zone, marking the second intrusion this week. This coincides with Russia and China's massive military drills involving 90,000 troops, 4000 warships, and 120 planes and helicopters. Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO, Kurt Volker, discusses the strategic alliance between Russia and China, aimed at disrupting the global order. He emphasizes that while Russia seeks to rebuild its empire, China's ambitions are more concerning. Volker argues that providing Ukraine with Western-made missiles is crucial to prevent Russia from establishing a safe haven for attacks, and warns that Putin's ambitions may extend to the Baltic States and other regions that were once part of the Russian Empire.

Takeaways

• 🔍 Two Russian jets were detected in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, marking the second such detection in a week.
• 🔴 Russia and China conducted their largest joint military drills since the Soviet era, involving 90,000 troops, 4000 warships, and 120 planes and helicopters.
• 🌍 The exercises are seen as a way to disrupt the global world order that has maintained peace for the last 70 years.
• 🏛️ China aims to make the world revolve around itself and replace the United States as the dominant global power.
• 🇷🇺 Russia is attempting to rebuild the Russian Empire, indicating a shared interest with China in challenging the status quo.
• 🤔 The former U.S. Ambassador to NATO suggests that Russia is the junior partner in this alliance, with China being the bigger concern.
• 🚫 The U.S. Vice President downplays Putin's threats of war, indicating a dismissive stance towards Russia's aggressive posturing.
• ⚔️ There is concern that providing Ukraine with Western-approved long-range missiles could escalate the conflict and potentially draw the U.S. into the war.
• 🛡️ The argument is made that not allowing Ukraine to strike back would effectively give Russia a safe haven to launch attacks.
• 🌐 Putin is perceived as already being at war with the West, with actions including cyber attacks, assassinations, and efforts to take over Ukraine to threaten other European allies.
• 🏰 The discussion suggests that Putin's ambitions may extend to reestablishing influence over the Baltic States and other regions that were once part of the Russian Empire.

Q & A

What significant military activity was reported near Alaska?

Two Russian jet fighters were detected and tracked in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone, marking the second detection that week.

What was the scale of the military drills conducted by Russia and China?

Russia and China held their largest military drills since the Soviet era, involving 90,000 troops, 4,000 warships, and 120 planes and helicopters.

How did Joe Biden respond to Putin's threats towards NATO?

Joe Biden brushed off Putin's threats, indicating that he doesn't think much about Vladimir Putin.

What is the shared interest between Russia and China according to Kurt Volker?

They share an interest in disrupting the global world order that has existed for 70 years and created peace for the last 700 years.

What does China want in terms of global influence according to the discussion?

China wants everything to revolve around itself and aims to replace the United States as the dominant global power.

What is Russia's goal in its current actions as per the conversation?

Russia is trying to rebuild the Russian Empire.

Why are Russia and China conducting military exercises near U.S. states?

They are doing these exercises as a way to try to get under the U.S.'s skin and disrupt the global order.

What is the concern regarding the provision of Western-approved long-range missiles to Ukraine?

There is a concern that it might lead to an escalation that Putin could use as a justification to widen the war.

What does Kurt Volker think about Putin's intentions if he could escalate the war?

Kurt Volker believes that if Putin could escalate, he would already be doing it, as he is throwing everything at Ukraine and trying to overthrow the government.

What does the conversation suggest about Putin's view of his conflict with the West?

Putin already sees himself as at war with the West, conducting cyber attacks, targeted assassinations, and arsons, and trying to take over Ukraine to threaten other European allies.

Which countries does Kurt Volker suggest should be cautious of Russia's ambitions?

Kurt Volker suggests that the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), parts of Poland, and Finland should be cautious as they were also part of the Russian Empire.