Russia-Ukraine war: US must implement 'deterrent strategy' to push back against Putin, expert says

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Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine is just one example of how he will undermine other nations to achieve his ultimate goal, and, unless America and other European nations begin taking action, it won't be the last time he will take military action in the face of resistance, according to a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer.

While there is difficulty across the globe to push back against Putin's current war with Ukraine, Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA officer and author of "Putin’s Playbook: Russia’s Secret Plan to Defeat America," spoke with Fox News Digital about the need for America and other European nations to act quickly to implement a "deterrent strategy" to Russia's aggression.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed into law legislation that could punish journalists with up to 15 years in prison for reporting so-called "fake" news about his military invasion of Ukraine.        (Yuri Kochetkov/Pool)

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Describing the strategy, Koffler said it would be similar to the Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) strategy which was used heavily during former President Reagan's administration amid the Cold War to prevent a nuclear war. The MAD doctrine was developed when the U.S., USSR, and other allies kept large quantities of nuclear weapons so that they were capable of destroying different regions if they were attacked.

Putin is steps ahead of America on a number of issues as a "direct result of [Russians] doing their homework," Koffler said, adding that Americans can push back against a lot of ongoing problems from Russia if we "start doing our homework again and actually putting both intellectual and financial resources into a counter strategy to Putin's playbook."

Speaking about research which suggests a war between Russia and the United States is inevitable, Koffler said it is time for other NATO countries to step up and pitch in with defense efforts as she reflected on statements made by Putin in 2015. "Fifty years ago, the streets of Leningrad taught me one thing: If a fight's inevitable, you must strike first," Putin said at the time, referencing a place from his childhood.

Natali Sevriukova reacts next to her house following a rocket attack the city of Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Feb. 25, 2022. ((AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti) )

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"That is why he is striking first," Koffler said, claiming that Putin, based on the response to his invasion of Ukraine, believes America has "no plan to resist him." Discussing Putin's ultimate goal, Koffler said Putin aims to have "neutral pro-Soviet states, ideally pro-Russia governments" that he can control.

Briefly describing the actions she believes America should take to resist Putin's tactics, Koffler placed great emphasis on energy independence, securing networks from cyberattacks, and safety for American satellites, which she said are "extremely vulnerable."

"It's not an easy thing to do," she said of the cost to secure networks, noting that "security was an afterthought" when the internet was created. "Our satellites are extremely vulnerable because of the same thing that can be done to our networks – cyber attacks."

U.S. President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)

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Koffler said targeted attacks on our satellites from Russia could potentially "deafen" and "blind us," making us weaker during a time of war. She also highlighted the energy "dependency" from America and Europe which provides Putin with leverage as he "cultivates" the need.

"Weakness emboldens Putin," Koffler said as she expressed concern over the failure of American officials to take threats from Russia seriously. "This should be a wakeup call so that we are not caught off guard next time around."