This is the title of a long overdue article by Peter Schroeder in Foreign Affairs. The gist of the argument: only Putin’s death or disappearance could end a war which he considers vital both for himself and Russia.
Putin’s emotional background and the reasoning behind his determination to destroy Ukraine and to absorb it into Russia.
Schroeder explains how Putin became afraid Ukraine wanted to become a part of the West and how its Orange Revolution could trigger similar events in Russia and, in the end, topple Putin’s regime.
A seemingly far-fetched conclusion but not unrealistic given Putin’s overanxious and apprehensive habit of protecting himself.
Ukraine’s independence is threatening Putin because it shows a model of Russia without Putin.Ukraine is different enough from Russia to claim its existence as a separate state. Yet it is similar enough to serve as a model of a Russia without Putin
After Ukraine's independence in 1991, Putin had always paid close attention to Ukraine’s political development. As long as there were russophile politicians at the helm, especially Viktor Yanukovych until he fled in 2013, Putin was happy with leaving Ukraine some degree of independence. Since Ukraine was very poor compared to Russia and corruption prevailed, it seemed not threatening at all.
Putin’s policy of benign neglect toward Ukraine now became lethal animosity. First, Russians occupied Crimea, then the Donbas and finally, in February 2022, the full scale invasion of Ukraine started.
The war has since developed its own dynamics, No more skulduggery like the one of the "little green men" in Crimea; now it’s a full scale war spiced with nuclear threats. No more possibility for Putin to opt out because he is now suffering from lockjaw as indicated by Schroeder.
How to find a solution? Either Ukraine surrenders or Putin dies or is removed. Since both options don’t appear on the horizon, the war will continue to grind on, as Schroeder predicted.
The modern Ukraine was created by Stepan Bandera and (unintentionally) by Joseph Stalin. Its final shape and role as a proud nation-state has Ukraine been given by Vladimir Putin. Don't be mistaken: the new Ukraine will not surrender. Instead it will fight to the last man standing.
