Former Intelligence Officer Rebekah Koffler says strategy wins wars, and the U.S. should plan and prepare to fight a war with Russia.

On Feb. 21, during a fundraiser in San Francisco, President Biden called Russian President Vladimir Putin a "crazy SOB," lamenting that "we always have to worry about nuclear conflict, but the existential threat to humanity is climate."

The next day, asked by a Russian state TV reporter for his reaction to Biden’s "nasty" words, Putin called them "absolutely adequate," suggesting the outburst was prompted by Putin’s earlier statement expressing his preference for Biden as a future U.S. leader, rather than Donald Trump.

"Judging by what he has just said," continued Putin, "I was absolutely right because it’s an adequate reaction to my remark." Speaking about "what’s best for us, Russia," Putin, wearing a sarcastic smile, doubled down, "I’ve said it once and can repeat: Biden."

Normally, Putin cannot be trusted. A former KGB operative, Putin is highly skilled at deception, the intelligence tradecraft that he regularly employed when he recruited spies in Eastern Germany. As a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer, I spent my career studying and analyzing Putin and his thinking. I am here to tell you that in this case, we can take Putin at his word – he does indeed prefer Joe Biden over Donald Trump as his U.S. counterpart. Here’s why:

TIME FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN TO FOLLOW 'THE GIPPER' AND INVOKE THE REAGAN DOCTRINE AGAINST IRAN

President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin (AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta | Sergei Bobylev/Sputnik/Kremlin Pool Photo)

Putin has sized up the U.S. president and likely concluded that Biden is naïve, can be easily manipulated, lacks a well-rounded background, and is not a strategic thinker. Saying nothing about the Kremlin’s acute awareness of the U.S. commander in chief’s obvious cognitive and physical decline.

An avid judo practitioner, Putin uses the key principles of this martial art against his opponents on the world stage. "Judo teaches you to maintain control, to feel the sharpness of the moment, to see the strong and the weak sides of your opponent, to strive for the best outcome." Thus Putin is always on the lookout for the opportunity to knock his opponent off balance. Biden has proven vulnerable to Putin’s influence.

Putin thinks he can disorient Biden and shape his decision-making in a way that is beneficial to Russia, rather than the U.S. Biden is easily flustered by Putin’s actions, having called him a "killer," "murderous dictator," "war criminal," "butcher," "pure thug," and the like. Putin perceives Biden’s losing his cool as a sign of helplessness. Putin knows he can get to Biden.

Biden’s hatred of Putin prevents him from learning who his opponent is, enabling Putin to constantly outmaneuver him. As an........

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