Editing Deterrence theory (section)

=== <span lang="Kannada">Post</span>-Cold War period ===
By the beginning of the [[2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine]], many western hawks expressed the view that deterrence worked in that war but  only in one way – in favor of Russia. Former US security advisor, [[John Bolton]], said: Deterrence is working in the Ukraine crisis, just not for the right side. The United States and its allies failed to deter Russia from invading. The purpose of deterrence strategy is to prevent the conflict entirely, and there Washington failed badly. On the other hand, Russian deterrence is enjoying spectacular success. Russia has convinced the West that even a whisper of NATO military action in Ukraine would bring disastrous consequences. Putin threatens, blusters, uses the word “nuclear,” and the West wilts.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2022-03-09 |title=How Russia Is Beating the West at Deterrence |url=https://time.com/6155990/russia-ukraine-invasion-deterrence/ |access-date=2023-08-11 |magazine=Time |language=en |archive-date=2023-06-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605115035/https://time.com/6155990/russia-ukraine-invasion-deterrence/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

When [[Elon Musk]] prevented Ukraine from carrying [[Drone warfare|drone attacks]] on the Russian [[Black Sea Fleet|Black Sea fleet]] by denying to enable needed [[Starlink in the Russo-Ukrainian War#Crimea|Starlink communications in Crimea]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Darcy |first=Oliver |date=2023-09-12 |title=An explosive Elon Musk biography is just hitting shelves. But the book's acclaimed author is already walking back a major claim {{!}} CNN Business |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/11/media/walter-isaacson-elon-musk-reliable-sources/index.html |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=CNN |language=en |archive-date=2023-09-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922122628/https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/11/media/walter-isaacson-elon-musk-reliable-sources/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Anne Applebaum]] argued Musk had been deterred by Russia after the country's ambassador warned him an [[Crimea attacks (2022–present)|attack on Crimea]] would be met with a nuclear response.<ref name="Elon Musk">{{Cite web |last=Applebaum |first=Anne |date=2023-09-11 |title=What Russia Got by Scaring Elon Musk |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/elon-musk-let-russia-scare-him/675282/ |access-date=2023-09-12 |website=The Atlantic |language=en |archive-date=2023-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230916102808/https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/09/elon-musk-let-russia-scare-him/675282/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later Ukrainian attacks on the same fleet using a different communications system also caused deterrence, this time to the Russian Navy.<ref name="Elon Musk" />

Timo S. Koster who served at NATO as Director of Defence Policy & Capabilities similarly argued: A massacre is taking place in Europe and the strongest military alliance in the world is staying out of it. We are deterred and Russia is not.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Koster |first=Ben Hodges, Timo S. |date=2022-05-05 |title=NATO Must Re-Learn Deterrence |url=https://cepa.org/article/nato-must-re-learn-deterrence/ |access-date=2023-08-11 |website=CEPA |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230716025857/https://cepa.org/article/nato-must-re-learn-deterrence/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Philip Breedlove]], a retired four-star U.S. Air Force general and a former [[SACEUR]], said that Western fears about nuclear weapons and World War III have left it "fully deterred" and Putin "completely undeterred." The West have "ceded the initiative to the enemy."<ref>Tavberidze, Vazha, (2022).  "Former NATO Commander Says Western Fears Of Nuclear War Are Preventing A Proper Response To Putin," ''Radio Free Europe'', April 07.</ref> No attempt was made by NATO to deter Moscow with the threat of military force, wondered another expert. To the contrary, it was Russia’s deterrence that proved to be successful.<ref>Bar, Shmuel, (2022). "Deterrence after Ukraine—a critical analysis," ''Quillette'', March 24.</ref>