PUTIN’S LONG WAR

Russia’s war against Ukraine has now lasted longer than its war with Nazi Germany, and its economy is suffering the consequences

Russian President Vladimir Putin takes part in a ceremony to receive letters of credence from newly appointed foreign ambassadors at the Grand Kremlin Palace in Moscow on January 15. / Photo by Ramil Sitdikov/POOL/AFP via Getty Images.

Despair and anger are growing in some parts of the US intelligence community about Vladimir Putin’s refusal to consider ending the war with Ukraine. The Russian president is facing devastating economic problems at home and is ignoring his restless senior military command—in pursuit of what?

Businesses are reeling and shops are closing—in part due to international sanctions—in Moscow and throughout Russia. In Washington, there is talk of the possibility of a change at the top. US intelligence officials who for years viewed Putin with reluctant respect for what they saw as his shrewdness and his willingness to kill to stay in power are now wondering why Putin is continuing a war that could lead to economic chaos and a demand for new leadership.