Vladimir Putin is factually wrong when he contends that his unprovoked invasion of Ukraine was a defensive measure against US-led aggression. The West is not at war against Russia. That said, NATO is no longer exactly sitting idle.
There's still no direct confrontation, but 15 months on, ratcheted-up support for Ukraine has morphed into an East-versus-West test of battle readiness that's brought the two sides closer to active combat than at arguably any time since the Cuban missile crisis of 1962.
