January 1, Vindman Says Ukraine Invasion is ‘Beginning of the End of Vladimir Putin’

On Wednesday, the Russian Ministry of Defense said that close to 500 soldiers have died in Ukraine. However, Ukraine has said that thousands of Russian soldiers have been killed in the conflict thus far. 

Vindman, who fled Ukraine with his family at age 3, said he thinks “this is the beginning of the end of Vladimir Putin” during an interview on the New York Times’s podcast The Argument.

“What we haven’t started to bake in yet, and what the Russian public hasn’t start to bake in, is this devastating human toll. This is the fact that Ukrainian cities are being bombarded. Civilians are being killed,” Vindman said.

“And if, in fact, there are 4,500 Russian dead and those body bags start coming back, or mothers start to ask about their children, that’s going to be untenable.”

Vindman told podcast host Jane Coaston that Putin had a “deep misunderstanding” of the West’s willingness to defend its interests and a misunderstanding of the ability of Ukraine to defend itself. 

“And all of these things coming together into a huge, huge trap for Vladimir Putin. He’s consolidated the entire free world against him in condemnation and inaction,” he said. 

“So that’s the sanctions that are unfolding and these weapons provisions that are unfolding. And that’s something that, ultimately, he might be remembered for, both this horrendous war, but also for bringing the democratic world together in defense of our values,” Vindman added.

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Vindman: This is the ‘beginning of the end’ for Putin