“Putin made a series of grave miscalculations when he ordered the
invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago. He thought that Ukraine
wouldn’t dare to fight back, but Ukraine is standing strong with the
help of its partners. Putin thought that our unity would fracture, but
Russia’s cruel war of choice, has only brought us closer together. [snip]
“Putin’s war of choice is not the result of NATO enlargement. Putin’s war is the cause of NATO enlargement.” -- Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a press conference after a meeting of the NATO Ukraine Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday. As much as war criminal and thug Putin would like his people and others to believe that Russia is the victim of a grand scheme by NATO and the West to destroy it, the truth is, as Sec. Austin put it, his war of choice is the cause of NATO enlargement. Putin's doing the destroying all by himself.