Former Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill (MO) wants people to understand how much more powerful the United States military is over Russia's -- despite all the bluster from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While Putin may posture and utilize hackers and other forms of asymmetric war, when it comes to boots on the ground, weapons and other arms, Putin can't stand up to the United States, McCaskill said on MSNBC Monday.
It's that reason that McCaskill says Putin made a major miscalculation and doesn't want to enter into a war with the U.S.
"I don't think there is any risk of the west looking away and I have to gently push back that Putin wants a war with the United States," she began. "We are talking about a country with a GDP the size of Texas. If you combine Europe, the west and other democracies that are in the western alliance along with the United States, we are talking about a $40 trillion GDP compared to Texas with $1.5. Just look at the militaries. Russia spends $65 billion on the military. Do you know what we spend? We spend $800 billion a year on the military. I don't think he is itching for a fight with the United States."
She went on to say that Putin clearly didn't think that Ukraine would have the allies that it does.
"I think he thought taking Ukraine would be easy because he believed his own wishes and a close circle of friends that told him what he wanted to hear," McCaskill continued. "I think he is in trouble. I'm not saying -- we have to quit saying how much stronger and more powerful the military is in Ukraine. Why is he out there trying to hire mercenaries if he has all these troops in waiting? Why is he going to China for help? Why is their stock market closed for another week?"
The problem, however, is that the more Putin appears to be losing, the more erratic he will become, she explained.
"I think Putin is really caught in a really difficult position right now and that's when he will be more irrational and not rational to want a war with the United States," she continued. "That is not rational. [President Joe] Biden and the first lady are hurting like all Americans watching what's happening and we are on the knife's edge of World War III which would bring massive casualties not just to the poor Ukrainians but all European countries and many, many thousands of Americans. So, this commander in chief has the most difficult job trying to help Ukraine continue to weaken Putin, without getting into a full-blown conflict that has dire consequences for the civilized world."
See the full conversation below: