Russia’s Strategy Against the West: Escalate Slowly and See if It Responds
Russia’s Strategy Against the West: Escalate Slowly and See if It Responds

Ukrainian and European officials say President Vladimir V. Putin has become emboldened by a lack of Western pushback.
Read the full article on NY Times World
Truth Analysis
Analysis Summary:
The article's claim that Putin is emboldened by a lack of Western pushback is partially supported by sources suggesting the West has been slow to respond. However, the article's overall accuracy is mixed, as the provided snippet is a general statement and difficult to fully verify without the entire article. There is a moderate bias due to the framing of Russia's actions as escalatory and the West's response as lacking.
Detailed Analysis:
- Claim: President Vladimir V. Putin has become emboldened by a lack of Western pushback.
- Verification Source #1: States that the West has been slow and underproportionate in its response to Russian escalation.
- Verification Source #2: Mentions the West's emphasis on escalation management, implying a cautious approach.
- Verification Source #5: Suggests the West's fears of escalation have been a folly.
- Assessment: Partially supported. The sources indicate a concern about escalation and a perceived slow response from the West, which could be interpreted as emboldening Putin. However, the degree to which this is true is subjective and depends on interpretation.
Supporting Evidence/Contradictions:
- Source 1: 'The problem is, the West has been slow and underproportionate in it's response to Russian escalation throughout the whole encounter'
- Source 5: 'Ukraine's invasion of Russia exposes the folly of the West's escalation fears'