I nonetheless do not perceive how Russia may assume that Ukraine would simply capitulate and that nobody would assist Ukraine battle Russia.
Putin thought Western Europe was weak and would not reply, particularly since Russia was supplying a lot of the EU with massive swaths of their power.
He thought the US was weak as a result of Trump mainly bowed earlier than him like a god and allegedly shared huge swaths of intelligence with him. Analysts say that he thought Biden would not need to become involved, or maybe he did not assume Biden and the US Army/Intelligence businesses may do something that may be efficient sufficient to cease him – like share intelligence, rally the EU round NATO, and get wanted arms shipped to Ukraine so quickly.
I do not assume he anticipated the Ukrainians to have improved their navy a lot in a mere 8 years additionally.
When you sofa this in gentle of the entire non-response that was his 2014 annexation of Crimea, from his perspective he most likely thought the identical factor would occur.
