Just over a year ago, Sir Lawrence Freedman became the first of our community to offer readers of The Strategy Bridge his thoughts on mentors, books, and legacies, beginning what would become a series to which many of us would turn at the start of each week: the #MondayMusings.
President Putin made three foundational assumptions in launching his war against Ukraine that should have been correct but were not. First, Putin assumed the invasion of Ukraine would be a quick and easy fight. Second, he assumed the world would denounce the invasion but tacitly allow it. Third, Putin assumed the war would deter NATO expansion.
