Ryan Menon, a professor at City College in New York, said that in response to the prevailing pessimism in the Western media, recent events have opened several diplomatic channels (US-Russia, UK-Russia, Germany-Russia, Russia-NATO Council), improving prospects for diplomacy.
He expects a wait-and-see strategy and calmness from Putin, he is convinced that the Russian president will not invade Ukraine.
Former member of the US Security Council Thomas Graham said that Vladimir Putin is “not an evil genius driven by hatred of the West and its values.”
He assured that in his foreign and domestic policy, the Russian president fits into the traditions of Russian statehood and foreign policy strategy. Russia has historically sought to ensure security through strict internal control and as far as possible pushing its borders away from the center. Strategically, Russian expansion is defensive in nature.