Raising the standard of living in Russia, as a priority, is a thing of the past. After three years of full-scale hostilities against Ukraine, the war has become an ideology in Russia. Therefore, the attempt to "split" NATO and attempts at influence operations on the territory of the European continent are something abstract and different from reality.
This is written by Economist, reports UNN.
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What Putin Wants - and How Europe Should Thwart Him - is the title of a recent article in the weekly English-language magazine Economist.
The text states that the military goals of Kremlin chief Putin have grown even after 3 years of full-scale war against Ukraine. What began as a so-called "special military operation" has turned into an existential struggle for Russia also against distant enemies, the author of the article believes.
This is a profound shift. This means that Ukraine's future depends more on Mr. Putin's ambitions than on President Donald Trump's theatrical diplomacy.
Assuming that, perhaps, Russia is not going to invade other parts of Europe yet. But Moscow will try to double down on influence operations - such as cyberattacks or sabotage.
The Russian leadership may try different scenarios. The Economist cites the example of the threat of a "split in NATO," Russia's attempt to seize a small piece of territory, or provoking Western countries to respond. It is important to be prepared for this in two to five years, the publication writes, noting that there is such a thing as an instant attempt in military planning.
But there are many points of view in the US and Europe.
Some, like American envoy Steve Witkoff, say Mr. Putin can be trusted... That he will not dare to violate Mr. Trump's supposedly peace agreement.
Others argue that Russia is supposedly "too weak" to pose a major threat to the West.
Еconomist writes that in Ukraine, due to Russia's aggressive war, there are "almost 1 million dead and wounded." Since winning victories and subsequent defeats in the first period of the great war (after the full-scale invasion in February 2022), Russia is still trying to advance, seizing new territories of Ukraine.
There is also another point of view - in the Baltic countries, Poland and the Scandinavian countries warn that the threat is great, and Russian imperialism has deep roots, and a likely "bad peace" imposed on Ukraine could become a springboard for his next war. There they hint that Russia is an aggressor that needs to be restrained.
Deterrence depends on understanding the threat. But after three years of fighting, the war in Russia has become an ideology.
In the past, 60% of Russians said that the government's priority should be to raise living standards. Today, that share has fallen to 41%; instead, 55% now say they want Russia to be respected as a world power.
The Economist claims that Putin has "put the entire Russian society on a war footing."
The arms industry creates jobs. Generous payments to soldiers and their families account for 1.5% of GDP.
A reminder that has already been encountered in other statements by Western representatives.
Defence against russia starts in Ukraine, the author of the Economist article says.
The more Mr. Putin is denied success there, the less likely he is to attack NATO
However, supporting Ukraine is not enough to make the entire continent safe, and Mr Trump is unlikely to offer much help, so Europe must do more. This means working harder to defend itself, strengthen its unity and lay the foundations for a post-Putin Russia.
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