is there any chance that Putin has decided it's time to declare victory?
Welcome to open-source Russian war planning. What else should we expect when we already saw Russians using cheap mobiles and unencrypted comms on the battle field. Putin's generals are getting slain on the front lines while they try to teach recruits how to conduct attacks. The Kremlin has finally confirmed a (most likely highly understated) death toll of over a thousand of their combatants in a month.. and that was before the bombing of that troop carrier, photos of which went viral, plus his own state TV outlet has now aired a risky and loud dispute over whether the war is won and if not, what to try next.
Memo to Vladimir: pull in your horns and keep saying you got what you needed.
He should go back to trying to hold it together in Donbas, which will now have become more and not less difficult, since all Ukrainians have now had their consciousness raised regarding Putin's actual intentions towards their whole country, not just eastern and southeastern areas.
No one can unring that bell. Ukrainians all know now, and so does the world, especially Eastern Europe, NATO, the EU as well as China and India.
You can tell Putin's status has evolved now to that of a mere star in geopolitical theatre, when Kim Jong-un launches a missile to remind the world that he too is a lethal threat. This is not a compliment to Putin's battlefield accomplishments in Ukraine, and Putin surely knows that. So may most Russians, after the extraordinary shouting matches on Russian state television.
Time to head to the negotiating table. I don't think Russia has the same advantage they may have had there a few weeks ago. It's not likely to get better. Their well documented attacks on civilians churn the stomach regardless of whether intentional or the result in some cases of crap hardware or poor judgment in attempts to deploy it. Their morale is sapped by unexpected resistance, poor command training and a rising death toll among troops and brigadier generals alike.
Someone from the Bush 43 admin should ship Putin that unfortunate Mission Accomplished banner with a note that says "Ours wasn't and yours can't be either; go home already and save some lives."
variety.com
