MOSCOW — President Vladimir Putin likes to portray himself as a new czar like Peter the Great or Ivan III, the 15th-century grand prince known as the “gatherer of the Russian lands.” But Putin’s year-long war in Ukraine has failed so far to secure the lands he aims to seize, and, in Russia, there is fear that he is leading his nation into a dark period of strife and stagnation or worse.
“Among the elite, though they understand it was a mistake, they still fear to do anything themselves,” said the only Russian diplomat to publicly quit office over the war, Boris Bondarev, formerly based at Russia’s U.N. mission in Geneva. “Because they have gotten used to Putin deciding everything.” Now, with his troops reinforced by conscripts and convicts and poised to launch new offensives, the 70-year-old Russian leader needs a win to maintain his own credibility. “Putin needs some success to demonstrate to society that he is still very successful,” a senior Ukrainian security official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss politically sensitive issues.
Videos purportedly show members of the Kremlin-approved but technically illegal mercenary Wagner Group executing “traitors” in beatingsFormer central bank official Alexandra Prokopenko described an atmosphere in which officials fear prison amid intimidation by the security services. His illegal claim to annex four Ukrainian territories, despite not controlling them militarily, was a burn-all-bridges tactic meant to draw sharp new red lines on the map of Ukraine.on the occasion of the supposed annexations, in the Grand Kremlin Palace’s St. George Hall, reached a new hysterical pitch over what he called the West’s “outright Satanism” and its desire to gobble Russia up and destroy its values.
The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.
2023 will be key. Don’t rule out the Russians getting competent military leadership, improved strategy & tactics. But high Ukrainian morale & superior command & control plus Western arms should guarantee a favorable peace if not sound trouncing of Russia.
Makes one wonder why one would even pen a story, let alone publish The Washington times purposely trying to provoke a war?
“A year of full-scale war in Ukraine has failed to achieve President Vladimir Putin’s territorial aims. But at home ZELENSKY has tightened his grip, engineering a closed, nationalist society.” Fixed it for you WaPo.
Wait until the US hears they’re paying Ukrainian pensions. And the age is 60 years old. Americans are paying $1400 a month to each retired Ukrainian couple or a $1000 a month if they’re single.
ask his buddies the republicans for advice.
It will just take him a minute minute dear , Russia is a nuclear nation, don’t forget that, he is being generous 😊
For decades I thought Putin was a shrewd and cunning player. Boy was I wrong. His invasion of Ukraine is one of the worst military blunders of all-time. Lol, what a loser.
Nos convertimos en esclavos del petróleo, y los dueños de los pozos quieren cobrar el precio de nuestra mercancía con tierra y la esclavitud del pueblo de Ucrania.
But Biden's plan is working 🥳with...as usual... a lot of dead not american..And USA are capitalizing the sale of weapons and gas🥳
Strange. So has Ukraine.
you are biased WP
The conflict started when NATO put too many weapons in UKraine and Russia went in to remove the weapons. It is true Russia has not met it's goal of removing the weapons, but only because NATO keeps on sending more weapons to replace the weapons that Russia destroyed. Ukraine…
While we pay Ukraine soldiers to treat kids like this
Giving the west sleepless hell .
La guerra era para eso!!
Aren’t you tired of this bs that nobody buys anymore?
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