Putin doesn’t appear smart enough to realize this slow walking is destroying him on the world stage; of whatever opinion is left of him.
I don’t think Putin is concerned about what the world thinks. He is concerned about staying alive. He gambled and he lost. He might, arguably be “winning,” for whatever that means in this context, on the ground. It doesn’t matter. He has to sell whatever happens as a victory. Right now, he has control of what the Russian’s see. But when he has to demobilize part of the army, he’ll lose that control and all hell will break lose. Among his other problems, the economy is artificial and once the war is over, he won’t be able to keep up the illusion. Before you say, “everything is fine in Russia,” wars cause inflation and when they end there’s an instant and sharp recession. Think WWI and the bonus riots or WWII, which was much softer because we exported out recession to the world.
Can Putin, as opposed to Russia, survive the chaos of an uncontrolled reentry to normalcy? And what would normal look like? It’s unlikely Europe will ever buy Russian energy. Few companies will venture into the political and social chaos of the hyper corrupt business scene where the Silovicky (Those authorized to used force) can walk into your office with guns and take your company.
Putin has to keep the war going for his personal survival. On the good side, he’s in his seventies and it probably won’t be that long.
Is it sarcasm? Zelensky cried that his power grid gets bombed, Putin offered a partial ceasefire regarding energy infrastructure as a test run for a general ceasefire. Russia abides, Kiev doesn’t. Trump failed to influence Zelensky to comply. The more it continues the more Putin is justified and the weaker Trump’s hand is.
“Putin doesn’t appear smart enough to realize this slow walking is destroying him on the world stage; of whatever opinion is left of him.”
BREAKING NEWS: The ‘World Stage’ is far bigger than Brussels, which is evidenced by the fact that countries representing 80 PERCENT of the world’s population have NOT imposed ‘sanctions’ on Russia.
My opinion about Ukraine and Putin is definitely evolving. I was one who bought into Russia’s narrative regarding the war but now it looks like Putin is exactly what many believed him to be, an enemy of The United States. He appears to be taking advantage of President Trump’s good nature and desire for peace. He will come to regret this decision.
We may have to fight Russia after all. Not ideal but if we are not moving toward peace we will have to get on with the business of war especially after Russia has rejected peace. We’ll see.
Biden's sanctions were supposed to isolate Russia and leave its economy in tatters. Instead, Russia had a 3.9% growth rate last year and record low unemployment.