Source: Foreign Policy
by Ian Garner
“Why does Putin, three years after it became clear that his army could not destroy Ukraine in battle, seem so unwilling to countenance any sort of cease-fire? Despite some recent gains on the ground — notably in pushing the Ukrainians out of Russia’s own Kursk region — the chance of a decisive Russian military victory remains vanishingly small. Indeed, the clock appears to be ticking on Russia’s war effort. … Putin, eager to preserve his own security above all, may judge that the risks of ending the war are greater than those of continuing it. … Pulling the rug out from under the conflict — and ending the vast spending stimulus the war has brought — may also end the social stability on which Putin has built his 25-year rule.” (04/03/25)