Putin is making good on his “call up” of 300,000 soldiers. The soldiers are reluctant. In some cases, the families are not only angry but have no idea how they will get through the extreme winters in places like Siberia. Men are trying to escape the draft by crossing Russian borders. The draft’s unpopularity is why Putin had waited until he’s (almost?) lost the war with Ukraine before he ordered it. At the same time, Putin is forcing Ukrainians to vote by gunpoint in the Western areas of Ukraine, which Putin is determined to annex.
Worse, he is threatening to use nuclear weapons. The U.S. has guaranteed a decisive response, and European allies stand firm against Putin’s unprovoked war against Ukraine.