“War is when two states are at war” – “We do not have a war, we have a
circus. With clowns in uniform and without. They don't even know how to
fight, and they can't decide to declare war on the enemy.” So said
Girkin, (or Igor Ivanovich Strelkov to give his full name), a Russian
army veteran and former FSB officer who played a key role in the
annexation of Crimea by Russia, and later the war in Donbas as an
organizer of militant groups in the so-called Donetsk People's Republic
(DPR). But how far have Putin’s expertise in hybrid warfare,
disinformation, and Active Measures around the world, softened responses
to Russia, and changed the landscape of International Relations? What
role do economy expediency, war fatigue and indifference play to the
advantage of Russia as war drags on?
Volodymyr Dubovyk, is Associate Professor of International Relations
and Director of the Centre for International Studies at Mechnikov
National University in Odesa, Ukraine. Visiting professor at Tufts.
LINKS:
https://sites.tufts.edu/fletcherrussia/tag/volodymyr-dubovyk/
https://www.newsweek.com/putin-forces-clowns-dont-know-how-fight-1795691