Putin may agree to negotiations due to the threat of losing Crimea – The Times
Kyiv • UNN
The Times reports that Putin may agree to negotiations due to the threat of losing control over Crimea. Ukraine's strikes on the peninsula's infrastructure are aimed at forcing the Kremlin into dialogue.
The threat of losing control over occupied Crimea could force Russian dictator Vladimir Putin to sit down at the negotiating table regarding the war against Ukraine. This assessment is provided by The Times, reports UNN.
Details
As the publication notes, Crimea holds not only strategic but also symbolic significance for Putin. After the illegal annexation of the peninsula in 2014, it became one of the key elements of the Russian leader's political legacy, as well as the base of the Black Sea Fleet.
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The article's author believes that Ukraine's strikes on military and logistical infrastructure in Crimea are aimed at threatening Russia's control over the peninsula and forcing the Kremlin to begin negotiations. At the same time, such a strategy carries the risk of new escalation from Moscow.
"If he fears that the loss of Crimea... will lead to his downfall, he may decide to negotiate. At the same time, Putin may be tempted to raise the stakes,"
The publication also notes that among Russian elites there are two approaches to the further conduct of the war: a pragmatic one, which involves freezing the conflict, and a radical one, whose supporters advocate for further escalation and a new mobilization.