When Russia invaded Ukraine in the spring of 2022, President Vladimir Putin incorrectly assumed it would be a swift takeover.
In fact, three years on, negotiators from both countries are tentatively exploring the idea of a negotiated way out of a largely stalemated conflict.
So what did the Kremlin’s initial assessment get wrong? Aside from underestimating the vulnerabilities of Russia’s military, analysts have suggested, Moscow miscalculated the support Russia would receive from Ukrainians in the country’s east who have close ethnic ties to Russia.
Assistant Professor of Anthropology R. Alexander Bentley, Professor of Journalism and Media Catherine Luther and Assistant Professor of Information Science Ben Horne studied Ukrainian sentiment toward Russia before and after the invasion. Read about their findings at The Conversation.
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Cindi King (865-974-0937, cking126@utk.edu)