OPINION: Russia Is at War With the West – What Needs to Be Done

In recent years, there has been a recurring narrative in the West about the potential for a “war breaking out” with Russia that indicates a fundamental misunderstanding of Moscow’s strategy. While Russia undeniably seeks to weaken the Western order, it is keenly aware that it cannot win a conventional war against the United States and its allies. Instead, Russia has waged what it considers to be World War IV – a war fought on terrain that allows it to benefit from its strengths without entering a conventional war with NATO.

As chess grandmaster Garry Kasparov has argued, Moscow does not view itself to be at war with Ukraine, a country that Moscow considers to be merely a puppet of America, rather Putin believes that he is waging war against the puppet’s master – NATO – whom it blames for having lost World War III, the Cold War.

Recognizing that it cannot compete with the US military-industrial complex in conventional arms, Russia has adapted: Instead of trying to out-produce America in weapons systems, it has shifted its focus to sowing global chaos – an arena where tanks and artillery cannot provide a defense.

Openly allied with Iran, North Korea, and China, Moscow is focused on new forms of conflict: Hacking not for espionage alone, but to inflict damage as was recently seen in the attack on the Texas water treatment facilities; Creating regime change by training guerillas in Moscow who then return home to topple the Western-leaning governments there, as was seen in the overthrow of Mali’s President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, or to prop-up authoritarian allies, as occurred in Venezuela; Seeking to divide Americans from within by using psychological operations aimed at inciting post-election violence – thus allowing Russia to divide and conquer.

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In the grand scheme of this new world war, Putin sees any need for conventional conflict as a failure. Lacking the advanced military technology of the West, Moscow relies on attrition, the classic Russian tactic of overwhelming an opponent with vast numbers of soldiers, should a traditional war break out.

The ongoing invasion of Ukraine, initially planned as a ten day show of force, has now dragged on for nearly three years – an unwelcome quagmire that has left Moscow scrambling to rely on outdated military hardware from the Second World War to counter modern American and European military systems. Yet, despite these shortcomings, Russia’s “meat assaults” continue to prove effective.

As Russia wages this unconventional war, it skillfully avoids triggering NATO’s collective defense mechanism, Article 5. Its actions – ranging from assassinations to espionage to arson and sabotage – have taken place across Europe and the United States, frequently below the threshold of a direct military confrontation. This gives Moscow the confidence to continue its attacks without fear of reprisal. For now, Putin likely feels secure in his regime’s stability, interpreting the Biden Administration’s fears about “escalation“ as a signal that America will not respond forcefully to his provocations.

The West, and particularly the United States, must maintain a formidable military presence to project power and safeguard global security. But if the US continues to fail in confronting Putin’s strategic maneuvering, Russia will only expand its influence, which now extends far beyond Ukraine.

The Biden legacy will be defined by indecision and a failure to counter Moscow’s growing global footprint. But the next occupant of the White House will have an opportunity to reset America’s role as the global hegemon – one capable of not only putting adversaries in their place but also willing to do so.

In the coming months, Putin will undoubtedly test the resolve of Washington’s decision-makers. It is time for the United States to send a clear message to Moscow: there is a new sheriff in town, and any further provocation will be met with swift and unforgiving consequences. The stakes have never been higher.

The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post.