Putin — Losing Control of Events?Russian opposition politicians are saying that if the latest offensive in Donbas fails, as past attempts have, Vladimir Putin may be ready to end the war or at least call a ceasefire before the end of the year.
Recognizing that Russian losses are huge and disproportionate to the modest gains at the front, they nevertheless note the chance of a successful and decisive campaign thanks to the manpower reserves of the Russian command and the depletion of the Ukrainian Army.
Putin faces a further problem. Despite high hopes in the Kremlin that the Alaska summit indicated the tide was turning in its favour, the reality has been very different.
Disappointed by the lack of progress from talking to an intractable Russia, President Trump recently declared that Putin “failed” him in ending the war. The administration has offered more support to Ukraine, both rhetorically and in terms of military support. Kyiv has benefitted from previously denied US intelligence to assist its energy system attacks, and Trump now openly discusses the possibility of providing long-range cruise missiles, something never considered by the Biden administration.
https://cepa.org/article/putin-losing-control-of-events/
