Key Takeaway
| ● | The whole weight of Russian-controlled media was thrown behind persuading Russians to accept the justice of the annexation of Ukraine. |
| ● | Vladimir Putin is deliberately projecting a similar approach to leadership as Joseph Stalin. |
| ● | Putin uses the perceived threat of NATO to unite opinion against Ukraine. |
| ● | Russia has worked hard to promote divisive sentiment within Ukraine. |
| ● | Russia overhauled its military and invested heavily in new military equipment. |
| ● | Russia assembled a massive force close to the borders of Ukraine in 2021. |
If your core tactic is total domination, you have to have the military force to back it up.
There are clues as to what Putin’s next invasion plans are, based on the nature of his propaganda invective. Is he demonizing any other specific nations or people groups? Are the complaints and threats about Finland and Sweden joining NATO a clue as to where he will strike next?
Is Putin planning to reunite the old Soviet Union? It appears so.
Russia’s build-up to invasion followed the usual planning steps, preparing home audiences and international audiences for the inevitable outcome. Because Russian preparations are so predictable, Ukraine was able to place specific pieces in specific places to counter the Russian plan.
It appears that Ukraine did prepare with the Russian “game” in mind. In the next chapter, I will consider how Zelensky’s build-up to being invaded in 2022 proactively prepared for the coming storm.