US senators dismiss 'World War III' worries, say US forces would dominate Russian troops

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The U.S. shouldn't fear World War III with Russia after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s forces displayed an impressive level of "ineptness" in Ukraine, according to some U.S. senators. 

"I wouldn't call it World War III," Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said during "Fox News Sunday." "I think  … it would end pretty quickly because with the conventional forces that he's had there, you know, we haven't seen this kind of ineptness in a long, long time. So I'm not as concerned about that."

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Putin’s repeated references to nuclear power have stirred up fears of an escalation in Ukraine and the prospect of dragging the U.S. into the Eastern European conflict – a situation that President Biden has insisted will not happen. 

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., echoed Risch’s sentiment that the conflict will not escalate to the most dire situation. 

"Well it’s not going to be World War III – this is all a bluff," Graham said during an appearance on "Sunday Morning Futures." "Putin knows that no one wins a nuclear exchange. If he ordered a strike on the United States, a general would shoot him in the head." 

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But Risch worried that the Biden administration projects "weakness" and would continue to do so as the conflict continues. 

"The administration has projected weakness throughout this," Risch argued. "Remember everything we’ve tried to do? They said no, and then eventually they say yes, and that started with sanctions."

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"It started with giving them stinger missiles: They said no, then when our allies stepped up and gave stingers then they said ok, the same thing with the javelin, anti-tank weapons … They’re just dragging their feet." 

The logistical and tactical issues Russia has faced have boosted confidence among lawmakers that the U.S. would make swift work of Russia in a conflict.

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Evidence indicates that Putin expected the campaign to remain brief: An article accidentally published by state-aligned media outlet RIA was meant to publish 4 days after the invasion began and declare victory, and plans supposedly found on a captured Russian official outlined a 15-day war campaign to take the whole country. 

Russia still has yet to take several major cities, including Kyiv, after 18 days.