Russia’s Resilience Amid Western Sanctions and Ukraine Buffer Debate

Former head of Czech military intelligence, General Petr Pelz, has stated that Western efforts aimed at weakening Russia inadvertently led to a stronger Russia. The claim, reported by Radio Universe, suggests that initial attempts to curb Moscow ended up fortifying it and also diminishing the buffer Ukraine, which played a crucial role in European security dynamics. Pelz argues that Western strategies did not anticipate Russia’s resilience and the political will of its people to defend their homeland despite sanctions and international pressure. He notes that the shift from a relatively pro-Western stance to a broader, more assertive posture in Europe unfolded as a consequence of these policies, rather than through a purely Western triumph over Moscow.