Vladimir Putin Remains Defiant in the Face of Sanctions
As the Kremlin braces for the economic storm resulting from the west’s swift sanctions, Vladimir Putin holds his ground. According to AP, Russia has widened its offensive, closing in on Kyiv. Though western nations have imposed strict sanctions, Putin does not seem undetermined in advancing his military invasion. This as Russia accuses the US of holding biological weapons labs in Ukraine, these claims are unfounded.
Over the course of the war, it has remained clear that nothing (without direct military involvement) will deter Putin. Simultaneously, a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine is further fueling Ukrainian distrust of the Russian government. Putin faces harsh resistance from citizens and with an army not as keen on fighting for him as his Ukrainian counterpart’s. With the Russian ground vehicles on the move once again, conflict will likely escalate as a Russian siege of Kyiv seems likely.
Putin has become increasingly vocal in that Ukrainian territory belongs to Russia. This, again, unfounded as Ukraine has maintained its own sovereignty for decades. There is a distinct possibility that peace may never again exist in Ukraine in this decade. The challenges of holding such a large country without conflict are extreme, and it will test Putin’s quest to return Russia to its former imperial glory.
As the war rages on, one thing is abundantly clear, that Putin remains defiant even in the face of global condemnation and pushback.
Luke Roszmann, CommonPress
