MOSCOW -- Russian President Vladimir Putin has made a slew of miscalculations since launching his military offensive in Ukraine. Those missteps are now coming back to haunt him.
Factors such as stiffer-than-expected resistance from Ukrainian military forces have likely forced a rethink in Moscow's strategy. Putin, who has wielded power in Russia since 2000, has apparently overestimated the fighting capabilities of the Russian forces, among other related considerations.
On Feb. 26, two days after Russia declared the start of its campaign, a state-run media outlet published a column titled "The arrival of Russia and a new world." The article celebrated Russia's military "victory" through such assertions as "Ukraine has returned to Russia" and "There will be no more Ukraine as anti-Russia." The feature was quickly deleted.
