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Putin with his back to the wall: Is a Russian defeat imminent?

2022-10-06T03:32:30.284Z


Putin with his back to the wall: Is a Russian defeat imminent? Created: 06/10/2022, 05:05 By: Teresa Toth Time is running out for Putin in the Ukraine war – the military records failures every day. And even in his own country he is losing approval. © Ashley Chan/dpa Ukraine is gaining the upper hand in the war of aggression - a victory for Putin is becoming increasingly unlikely. So he wants t


Putin with his back to the wall: Is a Russian defeat imminent?

Created: 06/10/2022, 05:05

By: Teresa Toth

Time is running out for Putin in the Ukraine war – the military records failures every day.

And even in his own country he is losing approval.

© Ashley Chan/dpa

Ukraine is gaining the upper hand in the war of aggression - a victory for Putin is becoming increasingly unlikely.

So he wants to end the war as soon as possible.

Moscow – Russia is coming under increasing pressure in the Ukraine war.

The Ukrainian troops have already recaptured many areas – a victory for Vladimir Putin is becoming increasingly unlikely.

The Russian ruler should also be aware of this: He is trying to hide his defeat, for example with the illegal annexation of four districts in Ukraine.

In the meantime, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has announced complete control and evacuation of the strategically important city of Lyman.

With the fall of the city, the path to Kreminna and Svatowe opened up for the Ukrainian troops.

Both cities are in the Luhansk region and are – especially Swatowe – important transport hubs.

Possible defeat for Putin in the Ukraine war: why the air is getting thin for the Kremlin boss

Domestically, too, Putin has increasing problems.

According to official figures from the EU, Georgia and Kazakhstan, around 220,000 Russians have fled since the conscription.

His approval ratings are also falling for the first time, according to an evaluation by the independent Russian opinion research institute Levada Center.

“A lot of people would ask: Why did we get into this mess?

Why have we lost so many people?” Andrey Kortunov, who heads the Kremlin-backed Russian International Affairs Council (RIAC) in Moscow, told

CNN

.

Defeat for Putin in the Ukraine war?

There were already signs of a turning point in April

As data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) shows, a turning point in Putin's war of aggression came as early as April.

Russian troops failed to capture the capital, Kyiv, and eventually withdrew from the northern fronts as well.

In doing so, they gave up around 40 percent of the profits they had made since the invasion began.

The situation then came to a head with the surprising counter-offensive in early September in the Kharkiv region.

This has therefore made a significant contribution to the fact that the Russian armed forces currently control less Ukrainian territory than after the first invasion in February 2022.

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More than 50 dead civilians: Ukrainian television reports of further mass graves in Lyman

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The Kremlin boss feels that time is running out for him - he has his back to the wall.

Therefore, he wants "to end the whole thing as soon as possible," Kortunov told

CNN

.

In addition to the annexation of the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Cherson regions, Putin's nuclear threats also suggest that he is aiming for an end to the war, according to the expert.

Ukraine war: Putin resorts to threats

"I think Putin will make all the threats to Europe and then he'll say, okay, let's negotiate an agreement.

And let me keep what I've already got," Kurt Volker, a former US ambassador to NATO and US special envoy for Ukraine, told the

Global Business Forum

.

CIA chief John Brennan agrees.

In addition to the attempt to secure areas in Ukraine for himself, the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipeline also suggests that Putin is pulling out all the stops one last time to decide the war for Russia.

As former CIA chief John Brennan told

CNN

, Putin is likely trying to send a message: "It's a signal to Europe that Russia can reach beyond Ukraine's borders."

Possible defeat for Putin in the Ukraine war: Kremlin boss under pressure

Fiona Hill, who has advised three US presidents on national security issues related to Russia, agrees.

“He feels an acute urgency because he has lost momentum and is now trying to end the war the same way he started it.

He is in charge and sets the terms of every type of negotiation," Hill said in an interview with

Foreign Policy

.

The recent events in the Ukraine war are the result of Ukraine leading on the battlefield and the air getting thinner for Putin.

Still, he's trying to "adapt to the circumstances and take the lead," Hill says.

(tt)

Source: merkur

All news articles on 2022-10-06

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