The horrifying attacks on yesterday – which Vladimir claims were ‘retaliation’ for Ukraine’s successful attack on the Kerch bridge – are a sign that the Russian president is, if not yet desperate, getting nearer to it.They represent a highly significant psychological shift for the beleaguered leader. He is no longer trying to win the war: now he is simply trying not to visibly lose it.Previously he could have defined victory however he wanted. But by annexing Ukrainian regions, he has upped the already high stakes. If he cedes so-called ‘Russian’ territory, he will become the Tsar who gave away Russian land instead of the strongman who restored the empire.
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