AS I SEE IT
By Neal A. Shipman
Farmer Editor
One would have thought that there was no way that Ukraine’s military and citizens could withstand an attack by Russia that began last week. Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, was no doubt confident that Ukraine would simply roll over as he unleashed missile attacks and Russian tanks and soldiers poured into the country.
Putin knew that his military was far superior in numbers and that Ukraine would have to fight Russia without the help of NATO troops. And he assumed that the rest of Europe and the United States would sit back and allow him to quickly overrun Ukraine in his plan to rebuild the Russian empire.
But that isn’t what has happened. Yes, Russia invaded Ukraine. But as we now see five days into the battle, things are not going so well for Putin’s plans.