Vladimir Putin is distracting Western leaders from the real threat Russia poses through ostentatious displays of nuclear and conventional military power. He makes bombastic announcements of nuclear weapons technology and exercises of mechanized forces to intimidate us with capabilities he does not wish to use. He perfects, at the same time, the hybrid war approach he has used successfully in Ukraine and Syria, relying on proxies, mercenaries, covert operatives, information operations, cyber activities and limited conventional forces.
OP-ED
Frederick Kagan, Katherine Harris: The United States must take swift action to stop Russia’s aggression

Presidential candidate, President Vladimir Putin gives a speech during a rally to support his candidature in the upcoming presidential election at the Luzhniki stadium in Moscow on March 3.
Russians will go to the polls on March 18.