Jenny Mathers - Why Experts Underestimate Ukraine’s Potential and Over-estimating Russia’s Strengths

Every time Ukraine pulls off another ‘improbable’ victory, or achieves a
substantial breakthrough, journalists and military analysts return to
their familiar refrain that ‘the war will now grind on indefinitely’ or
that ‘there will be no more advances until spring’. From the battle of
Kyiv, to Kharkiv and now Kherson, the stark evidence of extraordinary
Ukrainian capability and boundless Russian incompetence is quickly
forgotten. It seems that underestimating Ukraine’s potential and
over-estimating Russia’s strength is a comfort zone the experts cannot
tear themselves away from.

Jenny Mathers is a senior academic with expertise in Russian politics
and security, gender, and conflict. She has been a Senior Lecturer at
Aberystwyth University since 1992. Jenny Mathers is experienced in
Policy Analysis, Political Science, and lecturing. She is a Doctor of
Philosophy (Ph.D.) focused on International Relations gained from
Somerville College, Oxford University.