For Putin, continuing war in Ukraine is key to his political survival, - Politico
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin promised Russians victory not only over Ukraine, but also over the "the collective West," so he cannot simply end the war.
According to Censor.NET, Politico writes about this.
As noted by Nikolai Petrov, senior analyst at the London-based New Eurasian Strategies Centre, Putin has become "the president of war," and a return to peaceful life would be tantamount to a demotion.
"No matter what the conditions are, he cannot give up that role," Petrov said.
Although the Russian army is currently enjoying some success on the front lines due to Ukraine's shortage of weapons, this progress is deceptive, as it comes at the cost of enormous losses, estimated at one million people. In addition, the war is having a negative impact on the Russian economy.
Experts note that the main threat to Putin is not the liberal opposition, but a group of nationalists whom he promised victory not only over Ukraine, but also over "the collective West." According to former Russian diplomat Alexander Baunov, the aggressive part of the military-political establishment wants to destroy NATO and demonstrate its ineffectiveness.
Analyst Kirill Rogov believes that Putin's attack on Poland is sending a signal to Western leaders who are discussing security guarantees for Ukraine. This move demonstrates that Russia can attack NATO countries that, as it turns out, do not have adequate defence systems. Such attacks, as Baunov noted, are a test of the Alliance's determination to defend its members. The Kremlin rejects the accusations, claiming that the drones did not intend to attack Polish targets. Rogov described this as "typical Putin-style trolling and probing," which allows the incident to be interpreted as either deliberate or accidental.
