Last Update: March 09, 2023, 09:04 AM IST
Russian President Vladimir Putin delivers his annual State of the Nation address at the Gostiny Dvor convention center in central Moscow on February 21, 2023. (AFP)
A US intelligence report says Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a tectonic event that is reshaping Russia’s relations with the West and China.
A recently released US intelligence report says that Russia does not seek a direct military conflict with the US and (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) NATO, but it is likely to happen.
The US Intelligence Community’s annual Threat Assessment report also noted that Russian leaders have refrained from taking actions that would widen the Ukraine conflict, however, the risk of escalation remains significant.
“Russia may not seek direct military conflict with US and NATO forces, but it is likely to happen. Russian leaders have so far avoided taking actions that would broaden the Ukraine conflict beyond Ukraine’s borders, but escalation The risk remains significant,” the report said.
It further said that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a tectonic event that is reshaping Russia’s relations with the West and China. It also warned that the Kremlin would continue to use tools to advance its interests and seek to undermine the interests of the United States and its allies.
“The escalation of the conflict to a military confrontation between Russia and the West carries greater risks than the world has faced in decades. Moscow will remain a formidable and under-estimated challenger to the United States in key areas over the course of the next decade, but will still face a number of obstacles.
The annual report on Worldwide Threats to the National Security of the United States talks about threats from China, Iran, North Korea and climate change, in addition to Russia.
It also said Moscow views Ukraine as an “existential threat in its neighborhood that could destabilize Putin’s regime and threaten Russian national security.”
The Russian military has suffered heavy losses during the Ukraine war, which will require years to rebuild and “will leave them less able to pose a conventional military threat to European security,” it said.
The report states that Russia has the largest and most capable nuclear weapons stockpile, and it continues to modernize its nuclear weapons capabilities.
The US Intelligence Community also said that with the help of the Wagner Group, Russia would continue to use its involvement in the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali and Syria to expand its influence.
It also claimed that Russia conducted malicious influence operations in the 2022 US midterm elections and tried to “penetrate the Western information environment”.
It will seek to strengthen ties with the American people in the media and politics in hopes of developing vectors for future influence operations.
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