Analysis: Putin’s Ukraine invasion could set stage for others

(NewsNation) — Russia’s continued aggression and invasion of Ukraine represents an inherent threat to democracies across Europe and the world, NewsNation’s Leland Vittert said on “Morning in America.”

“If Ukraine can be invaded and overtaken by Vladimir Putin, so can any other democracy in Europe,” Vittert said on “Morning in America.” “Vladimir Putin sees the existence of democracies, especially in Eastern Europe, as a threat to him and a threat to his greater goal of bringing back the glory of Mother Russia and the glory of the Soviet Union.”

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has particularly alarmed nearby countries. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken Monday began a lightning visit to the three Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, former Soviet republics that are NATO members. Blinken hopes to reassure them of the alliance’s protection in the event Russia chooses to expand its military operations to other neighboring countries.

“Even this last week with 141 countries condemning what Russia is doing, it’s not just what Ukraine and Russia are doing, but the entire world, ascending to the fact that there’s a member state of the United Nations breaking one of the cardinal rules of the United Nations,” Andrij Dobriansky, director of communications for the Ukrainian Congress Committee of America, said.

Well into the second week of war, Russia’s plan to quickly overrun the country has been stymied by fierce resistance. Its troops have made significant advances in southern Ukraine and along the coast, but many of its efforts have become stalled, including an immense military convoy that has been almost motionless for days north of Kyiv.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion last month with a string of false accusations against Kyiv, including that it is led by neo-Nazis intent on undermining Russia with the development of nuclear weapons. Vittert said that Ukraine not having nuclear weapons could cause other countries to hold onto theirs for longer.

“The United States and Russia said they would respect Ukraine’s territorial integrity, and they [Ukraine] gave up their nuclear weapons,’ Vittert said. “So lesson number one, cc Kim Jong Un there and the other dead spots of the world who would want to get nuclear weapons for exactly the reason that you see what’s happening in Ukraine. It doesn’t happen to a country that has nuclear weapons.”

A third round of peace talks between the Kremlin and Ukraine is planned for Monday.

Watch “On Balance with Leland Vittert” weeknights at 7/6C.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.