With Russia’s military failing to achieve its expected gains in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is preparing Russians for a “forever war” with the West, The Guardian reported on March 28, 2023.
“A very, very long time”
According to the report, as summarised by the Kyiv Independent, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told guests at a private New Year’s party in Moscow in December that the war would last for a “very, very long time.” One guest, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was “uncomfortable” to hear Peskov and that he was preparing them “for the long haul.”
A struggle for survival
Kremlin officials have begun reframing the conflict as an ideological battle for Russia’s “survival” against the West, the Guardian said. Experts cited in the report said this was preparing Russians for a war without end.
Speaking at a factory in Buryatia, Putin said the war was “not a geopolitical task” but a question of the survival of Russian statehood. In his February 21 address to the Federal Assembly, he said the goal of the West was “to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.”
Long war
More than a year into the full-scale invasion, Russia has failed to capture Kyiv or the whole of Donbas and has suffered heavy losses. The Kremlin announced a partial mobilisation in September 2022 and has increased spending on defence, while Ukraine is preparing a counteroffensive with Western weapons.
Sources
Image note: The featured image was generated by AI based on the content of this article. It is an illustration, not an actual photograph of the people, places or events described.
