Peace is no less dangerous for Putin than war, - Economist
A peace agreement could pose a political challenge for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, threatening economic and internal instability in the Russian Federation.
According to Censor.NET, this is reported by The Economist.
Despite the Kremlin's hopes that Donald Trump's return to power in the United States and the negotiations in Geneva will force Ukraine to capitulate, the reality is much more complicated. Even the territorial concessions that Putin could count on do not solve the fundamental problems threatening his regime.
Military exhaustion and lack of resources
The first key problem is the critical slowdown in the pace of the offensive. During World War II, the Soviet army advanced 1,600 km to Berlin in four years, but during the same period of the current war, Russian troops in Donetsk Oblast have advanced only 60 km.
The resources for a breakthrough are running out: by the beginning of 2026, Russia began to lose more soldiers than it was able to mobilise. Recruits are poorly trained, the desertion rate is at a record high, and communications on the front lines have been paralysed after the Russian government shut down Telegram and blocking of Starlink.
Economic risks and the threat of internal crisis
The economic aspect is becoming no less dangerous for the Kremlin than the military one. The Russian model is based on huge payments to mercenaries, rather than patriotism, which constantly increases the cost of waging war against the backdrop of falling oil revenues and growing debts.
Experts predict that even the conclusion of peace could provoke a crisis within Russia. The transition from a war economy to a peacetime economy threatens to cause a deep recession, and thousands of veterans returning from the front who are unable to find work could become a factor in political instability.
Putin between war and peace
Ultimately, according to The Economist, Putin fears peace as much as he fears a protracted war. Any agreement that does not mean the complete destruction of Ukrainian statehood will undermine the myth of him as an "outstanding leader in history."
The Russian dictator may continue to strike Ukraine's energy system in an attempt to break its economy, but these actions cannot secure him a strategic victory — instead, they only drive Russia deeper into economic decline.
