The Russian military invasion of Ukraine, with the stated intent of forcing Ukraine to move away from its NATO and EU membership aspirations and to recognize Russia’s claim to Crimea, has shown the Russian armed forces’ severe limitations. These shortcomings present an opportunity for Ukraine and its allies to cause a shift in Russia’s style of aggressive foreign policy behavior and its detrimental effects on the European security environment. Over a decade of efforts to adjust Russia’s intent and to get it to follow the rules set out in the international community through negotiations and sanctions has proven ineffective. However, in Ukraine, Russia is exposing a weakness that could erode the role of Russia’s military as a pillar of its foreign policy.
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