Putin Won’t End His War Because His Survival Requires It Continue, Doliyev Says

Paul Goble

            Staunton, Dec. 7 – Since Putin launched his expanded war in Ukraine and the problems of the Russian people have increased, many commentators have suggested that the Russians will soon revolt, Mikhail Doliyev says; but their predictions are based on a set of assumptions that are precisely wrong. Only if his war stops will revolts begin.

            “The Putin regime,” the Russian commentator says, “exists only thanks to war.” It “began thanks to the war in Chechnya;” and it continues now because of the expanded war in Ukraine and talk about the need to continue the fight against NATO and Europe (kasparov.ru/material.php?id=6934973477E44).

            Indeed, Doliyev continues, “Putin’s subjects consider that he is defending them from enemies and traitors; and some “consider him the assembler of lands. But the main thing is that they feel his “defense” against enemies. As a result of that great goal, Russians no longer thinks about the economy, bridge construction, deprivation of freedom or lack of internet access.”

            Russians are told and they believe that “they are ‘liberating the whole world from Nazism.’ But “take away the war from them, and they will notice the devastation they now live in.” That is the primary reason why Putin must continue the war. If he doesn’t, Russians will finally recognize what he has done, been appalled and quite possibly revolt.

            Those who call themselves the Russian opposition don’t understand this, but Putin does and so as long as he is alive and in power, the war will continue, albeit with enough feints to allow him to rebuild his forces and convince the Russians once again that the war trumps all the other problems he and it have caused.