Russian President Vladimir Putin underestimated the will of Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and the results of that miscalculation are being seen now as the Russian invasion enters a new week, Rep. Michael Waltz, R-Fla., told Newsmax on Monday.
Waltz fears Putin will switch tactics and employ a "scorched-earth" strategy on Ukraine's cities if it becomes clear the targeted strikes are not effective.
"We're starting to see that already in Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, where they're firing indiscriminate mass rocket attacks into the city and causing civilian casualties," Walt told "Wake Up America."
Russian forces also often use the tactic of weaponizing refugees "to spark panic among the civilian population and we're starting to see that as well," he said.
Putin, he added, will not want to lose his domestic or international prestige, given he has put about 75% of his military's capacities into defeating Ukraine, so "he's going to double down and do whatever it takes. I fear that is going to be devastating to Ukraine, for their cities, and for their future."
But with Zelenskyy, a former late-night comedian, Putin thought "it would be relatively easy to knock him off and put his own puppet in place," Waltz added. "We're seeing the results of that miscalculation now."
Waltz added that Zelenskyy was not optimistic about the results of Monday's ceasefire talks, and neither is he, showing concern there will be an escalation of hostilities after they the talks concluded.
"Putin will have a narrative that will [say], 'I tried a peaceful path,' but then he goes all in," Waltz said.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is mounting what could be successful guerilla warfare, said the congressman, who served as a Green Beret.
"You need three things for a successful insurgency, for guerilla warfare," Waltz said. "You need the will to fight. We're seeing that. Clearly, you need the resources. They haven't been moving fast enough from the west, from the United States, but they're starting to flow."
And as Russia mounts land attacks, the Ukrainian forces will need a sanctuary, which logistically would need to be in Poland or Romania, but that also further involves NATO countries.
"If Putin takes action to stop the flow of arms and goods, that could get very dicey, very quickly," Waltz said.
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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