“Retreat could destroy his personal reputation and political position.”
What does he care? He’s got one foot in the grave. Posterity is going to judge him harshly no matter what he does next.
Hardly a new development.
I was saying he had to have a way out which allowed him to stay in power, at the beginning of the war.
He has continued to double down and double down. He is in a pickle as the war has devolved into a stalemate. He now depends on China, which has its own historical problems with Russia, for much of his income and ability to produce weapons.
I would much rather be in Trump’s position than in Putin’s.
Zelenski’s problem is different. He has to fight in order for the country of Ukraine to survive. He could have fled the country at the start of the war. The Biden administration encouraged him to do so.
Ukraine has grown more nationalistic as the war has progressed, it can still be destroyed. If it is, it will be a burden on Russia for decades to come.
I imagine it sucks to be him in general.
I don’t think he cares what people think of him. And until the people of Russia get sick of the war, nothing will change. They will keep sending their sons (but the sons of Moscow or St Petersburg) in patriotic fervor to die in Ukraine. The propaganda machine will continue to tell Russians that they NEED to win in Ukraine.
So, Putin will just keep grinding away. Until the oligarchs get tired of him.
I would stay away from 3rd floor windows if I were him.
Hitler was willing to let Germany die rather than surrender.
Putler is following that lead.
Putler is a Chekhist (secret policeman) through and through. In “The First Circle” Solzhenitzyn spoke of how many Soviet youth wanted to be Chekhists so they could have Western goodies and privileges.
Sick. And so is Vladolf Putler.
He stays in and his armed forces will be totally annihilated, pull out and he’s personally toast. His economy cannot stay focused on a wartime footing forever.
This a war we and NATO provoked by endangering Russia's naval base in Crimea and by expanding NATO to the Russian border and building and arming a 600,000 man army in Ukraine.
Russia has been very consistent with its demands to end the war -- fully concession by Ukraine of the annexed territory and a removal of NATO/Ukraine military threat from its borders.
Russia was never going to settle for anything less than that.
And, the people in the annexed territory never wanted to part of Ukraine after a coup in 2014 illegal removed a President they overwhelming voted for.
The situation and solution to the end the war are very simple when one acknowledges those facts.
Crimea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea Fleet are vital to Russia’s security. They will burn the world down to keep it. Not just Putin but any Russian premier is going to defend it.