The United States and NATO have formally rejected Russia’s demands for a de facto sphere of influence in the former Soviet space.
Russian troops are encircling Ukraine and are positioned to attack from Russia in the east and southeast, from the annexed Crimean peninsula in the south, and from Belarus in the north.
U.S. President Joe Biden has placed thousands of troops on high alert and is considering deployments to the Baltic states, Poland, and Romania.
And the West is warning of crippling sanctions that would effectively cut Moscow off from the global economy, including export bans of semiconductors and other high tech goods if Russia reinvades Ukraine.
The prospect of a major land war in Europe, perhaps the largest conflict since World War II, appears more likely than ever.
But as Vladimir Putin continues his brinkmanship, how much popular and elite support does he really have to start a war? Do Russians have any idea what is coming if he does? And how might they react? On this week’s Power Vertical Podcast, host Brian Whitmore speaks with Maria Snegovaya and Konstantin Eggert about Putin’s war at home.