Putin Calls Up More Troops as His War Effort Falters

Russian President Vladimir Putin “accelerated his war effort in Ukraine on Wednesday, announcing a new mobilization campaign that would call up roughly 300,000 additional soldiers while also directly challenging the West’s support for Ukraine with a veiled threat of using nuclear weapons,” the New York Times reports.

“In a rare videotaped address to the nation, Mr. Putin stopped short of declaring a full, national draft but instead called for a ‘partial mobilization’ of people with military experience.”

“The speech was an apparent attempt to reassert his authority over an increasingly chaotic war that has undermined his leadership both at home and on the global stage. It also escalated the tense showdown with Western nations that have bolstered Ukraine with weapons, money and intelligence that have contributed to Ukraine’s recent successes in reclaiming swaths of territory in the northeast.”

The Economist: Putin’s situation looks ever more desperate.