What does Putin want?

In January 2022, with a pressure-cooker situation growing on the Ukrainian border, this issue of The Looking Glass tries to help readers interpret Putin's intentions, examining the various interpretations of Russian behaviour, including its motives, likely agenda, and what the West might do about it.

The authors make three main findings: 1. The lack of consensus in the US and within NATO about how to respond to Russia makes the West appear disunited, and likely emboldens Putin further. 2. What Putin will do next in Ukraine remains unclear – even Russia's own experts are hardly the wiser – but claims that he merely wishes to extract concessions through diplomacy alone should be read with caution. 3. Without a wholehearted Western attempt to contest for escalation control, Russia is likely to continue testing the limits of the West's resolve.

Authors