Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice views Russian President Vladimir Putin's conduct as more and more "erratic" and "delusional" as his forces proceed an invasion of Ukraine.

Putin ordered the Russian army to invade Ukraine this previous week, with the full-scale assault starting early Thursday morning. Whereas many analysts initially introduced a dire evaluation of Ukraine's potential to defend itself, the Jap European nation has fought again exhausting and up to now largely stood its floor towards Putin's army.

Rice, who served within the administration of former President George W. Bush, is a number one knowledgeable on the Soviet Union and Russia, and at the moment directs the Hoover Establishment at Stanford College. Throughout her tenure as secretary of state from 2005 to 2009, she met instantly with Putin and different high Russian officers on quite a few events.

In a Sunday morning interview with Fox Information Sunday, Rice assessed that Putin "bit off extra" than he can "chew" on the subject of the Ukraine invasion. The previous Bush administration official prompt that the Russian president has modified within the years since she had met with him for diplomatic talks.

"Vladimir Putin anticipated a straightforward win right here. He thought he would waltz into the capital, into Kyiv. In his personal delusional rendering of historical past, Ukrainians and Russians are the identical—and he would overthrow this authorities and would possibly even be welcomed as a liberator," she stated.

Condoleeza Rice and Putin
Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin has turn out to be "erratic" and "delusional" in a Sunday interview. Above, Rice is greeted by Putin at his Novo-Ogaryovo nation residence, west of Moscow on October 15, 2005.ALEXANDER ZEMLIANICHENKO/AFP by way of Getty Photographs

"In fact, the truth has been one thing fairly totally different," Rice identified. "Maybe this can be a sign that the Russians have bit off greater than they will chew."

She went on to say she met instantly with the Russian chief "many instances," saying that "this can be a totally different Putin" now. "He had that robust veneer, he was all the time calculating and chilly, however that is totally different," she stated, including, that he "appears erratic."

"There may be an ever deepening delusional rendering of historical past. It was all the time a form of victimology about what had occurred to them [the Soviet Union], however now it goes again to blaming [Soviet leader Vladimir] Lenin for the inspiration of Kyiv," Rice defined. "So, he is descending to one thing that I personally have not seen earlier than."

Senator Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican and the vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, gave an analogous evaluation of Putin in a Friday tweet.

"I want I might share extra, however for now I can say it is fairly apparent to many who one thing is off with #Putin. He has all the time been a killer, however his downside now could be totally different & vital. It could be a mistake to imagine this Putin would react the identical manner he would have 5 years in the past," he wrote.

Throughout her Fox Information interview, Rice additionally praised the unity proven by the North Atlantic Treaty Group (NATO) within the face of Russia's aggression. Highlighting the robust response from Western European nations, the U.S. and Canada, the previous secretary of state stated Putin has "stirred up a hornets nest."

"He is managed to unite NATO in ways in which I did not assume I'd ever see once more after the tip of the Chilly Struggle," Rice stated.

President Joe Biden and NATO leaders have labored collectively to implement a united response to Russia. They've collectively applied stringent sanctions concentrating on the Russian financial system, in addition to high Russian officers—together with Putin. Many countries, together with the U.S., have additionally promised further army and humanitarian aide to Ukraine because the battle continues.

Though some analysts nonetheless categorical skepticism about Ukraine's potential to defend itself towards Russia, others view Putin's actions as a serious blunder.

"Vladimir Putin took an awesome danger right here. He is coping with prolonged provide traces, which is having an impression—a destructive impression on his troops potential to maneuver. There are main rivers in Ukraine that additionally pose challenges and there are giant cities. Russia simply would not have the troops to subdue them," former CIA station chief Daniel N. Hoffman, who held posts within the now defunct Soviet Union, instructed Fox Information on Saturday.

Antonia Colibasanu, a senior analyst with Geopolitical Futures, primarily based in Romania, instructed Newsweek that Putin's invasion "would improve Ukrainian radicalization towards Russia." She assessed if Russia occupies Ukraine "it must govern over an unfriendly society—not a straightforward factor whenever you're coping with a weak financial system."