Key Highlights
- Russia has recently played down US actions that once might have prompted sharp reactions, as Putin seeks to avoid antagonising Washington while negotiations over Ukraine continue.“He has one goal, which is to come out on top in Ukraine, and everything else is subordinated to that goal,” said Hanna Notte, director of the Eurasia program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, as quoted by The New York Times. Related NewsAI Video Reimagines Nicolas Maduro’s Dramatic Capture in US Raid - Internet Can’t Look AwayRussia’s restrained response was also evident this week when US forces seized a sanctioned oil tanker that had adopted Russia’s flag.
- Moscow responded only with a brief statement from its transport ministry, while Putin again said nothing.“All the indicators in Russian foreign policy right now are that Ukraine trumps everything else by far,” Notte said, adding, “So why would you give the Americans a bloody nose there and get on their wrong side?”Russia’s options are further constrained by what analysts describe as a broader decline in its global influence since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
- That war has drained resources and weakened Moscow’s ability to project power elsewhere, including in the Middle East and Latin America.“The Ukraine war is a dark hole that consumes Russia’s resources,” said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center, adding, “As the country becomes more resilient internally to Western pressure, it also becomes weaker as a global player.”Related NewsWhy Did Trump ‘Cancel’ Second Attack on Venezuela?Even if Russia wanted to intervene on behalf of Maduro, analysts say, it was unlikely to risk a confrontation with the United States, another nuclear power, over Venezuela.“He couldn’t do anything in Latin America, he couldn’t do anything against Trump, so he struck Ukraine,” said Ukrainian political analyst Mykola Davydiuk, adding, “He is weak in geopolitics but he wants to emphasize that he is still here, in Ukraine.”Latest News sportsIndia vs New Zealand Live Score 1st ODI: All Eyes On Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma And Shubman Gill's Returnentertainment newsThe Raja Saab Director Maruthi Recalls Receiving Congratulatory Call From Allu Arjun For Prabhas FilmchennaiHeavy Rain Alert For Chennai Tomorrow: IMD Warns of Cyclone Impact on Tamil Nadu — What To Expect on SundaysportsRCB's Biggest Mistake!
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