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| Historian Paine: Putin Will Make War on Europe, Risk World War III |
| 2026-10-30 |
| [NewsMax] Russian President Vladimir Putin's ambitions extend far beyond Ukraine, and his determination to rebuild Moscow's former empire could ultimately trigger a devastating war involving NATO and the United States, according to a prominent military historian. Dr. Sarah Paine, a retired professor at the U.S. Naval War College and expert on Russian imperial history, delivered the warning during an appearance Thursday on Steven Bartlett's "The Diary Of A CEO" podcast, arguing that Putin has little incentive to abandon his military campaign and could eventually threaten other European nations. "We're potentially barreling our way into a world war," Paine warned. "We have reckless people running some very large and important countries around the world." Paine believes Putin's ultimate objective is not simply controlling Ukrainian territory but restoring Russia's dominance over countries once ruled by Moscow. "I believe that Russia has unlimited objectives, that Putin wants to restore the old Soviet empire," she said. Her assessment suggests that allowing Russia to retain Ukrainian territory would not necessarily satisfy Putin's ambitions or prevent another conflict. "The Russians are going to come for you whether you like it or not," Paine warned when asked about Europeans who believe surrendering Ukraine could restore peace and stabilize energy prices. She pointed to Russia's history of territorial expansion, including its military intervention in Georgia in 2008, its annexation of Crimea in 2014, and its broader efforts to exert influence over neighboring countries. "So this is the Plan A. And then after you get Plan A, they keep on going," she explained. Paine argued that Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was a strategic miscalculation that strengthened Ukrainian national identity, depleted Russian military resources, and left the Kremlin trapped in an increasingly costly conflict. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |