The Economist: Vladimir Putin is not only at war with Ukraine

The capture of Avdijivka, which claimed the lives of 13,000 Russian soldiers and the loss of more than 400 tanks, shows Putin’s iron determination to continue the war. In addition, as the publication notes, Putin is making progress on the domestic front as well, as evidenced by the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny.

Scanpix/AFP photo/A.Navalnas following poisoning in “Novichiok” hospital in Berlin

These two fronts are connected: Putin’s war in Ukraine has always been regarding strengthening his position at home by changing conditions abroad.

The Economist notes that Putin is not afraid of NATO’s military power, but of the principles NATO created to protect the world: democracy, freedom and the rule of law. This poses an existential threat to V. Putin’s power.

AFP/Scanpix/Russian President Vladimir Putin

In Russia, the resistance to this threat is felt by V. Putin’s direct attacks on his own people. And this is far from limited to the fight once morest opponents: Putin’s regime is now turning once morest even those who are friendly to him.

“All this is infuriating. Public protests are brutally suppressed, but discontent takes many forms. Most Russians never asked for war, never wanted Ukrainian territory, and want their lives to return to normal. All this does not mean that the protest movement is getting stronger, but the polls show that support for the war is gradually weakening,” writes The Economist.

Moreover, experts say Putin now faces an “intractable trilemma”: financing the war, maintaining living standards and curbing inflation. It is noted that the damage caused to the Russian economy cannot be removed without ending the war and lifting Western sanctions.

“However, V. Putin cannot do this, because his regime can now exist only in war conditions. It is safer for him to redouble his efforts by imposing greater repression on his own people than to stop, which will lead to inevitable questions regarding the costs and reasons for the war. He is not the first ruler to find himself in this position. This was the conclusion reached by the German leadership in 1918. in the spring, choosing an all-or-nothing victory and preparing for a decisive attack,” the publication said.

It is also indicated that the gap between Putin’s militarism and people’s desire to return to normal life will only grow, but this is unlikely to stop the dictator:

“V. Putin sees the world differently. In his opinion, the high cost of this war justifies the scale of his efforts. V. Putin lives among the princes and tsars of ancient Russia, measures his efforts in centuries and sees in them a historical mission not only to restore the lost empire, but also to “overthrow the social order that arose in the West following the Second World War and spread in the East following the fall of the Berlin Wall.” He wants to defeat the very feeling of individual will embodied by A. Navalnas. And he won’t stop.”