It may sound extremely fanciful, and it certainly reveals how divorced from reality - to put it mildly - Putin is. Each aspect fits within another, amounting to a grand scheme that goes far beyond Ukraine yet centers on it.
And Putin, in contrast to the early chaotic months, now has a clear plan.Ĭonsisting of three main dimensions, the plan is a kind of strategic Russian doll. What is very clear is that in late May, the Kremlin came to the firm conclusion that it is winning this conflict in the long run. Based on public rhetoric, policy moves and informal discussions with insiders, I have been able to work out - as far as is possible - the contours of the Kremlin’s current thinking. Over two decades I have closely followed Putin’s words, behavior and decisions, forming a comprehensive picture of the president’s calculations. To call such a litany of difficulties and outright failures a success may be to court the charge of propaganda, hypocrisy or even self-delusion.īut it’s what the Kremlin seems to believe. After all, Russia has been forced to retreat from Kyiv, experienced several military reversals, faced sanctions on an unprecedented scale and been subjected to a chorus of international condemnation. But senior Kremlin officials keep repeating that Russia, gaining the upper hand in Ukraine’s east, will achieve all its goals. The war in Ukraine, in its fifth month and with no end in sight, may be gruelling.
That’s the line from President Vladimir Putin. CHENNAI: Everything is going according to plan.