Despite Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “pathological fixation” on preventing Ukraine from joining NATO, a direct Russian attack on the alliance is highly unlikely. -The war in Ukraine has exposed the Russian military’s significant weaknesses and its limited ability to project power,

President Trump’s new hardline strategy—offering advanced weapons to Ukraine while threatening Russia with a 50-day ultimatum for a peace deal—has been met with cautious optimism from some quarters and continued defiance from Moscow.