putin trying to absolve himself of responsibility for protracted war in Ukraine – ISW
Analysts of the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe that the russian president is trying to absolve himself of responsibility for the protracted war in Ukraine.
This is stated in the ISW report.
"Putin is also doubling down on an effort to absolve himself of responsibility for conducting a protracted war in Ukraine. Putin made several statements that Russia seeks to end the war as soon as possible while simultaneously noting that Russia will not increase the pace of 'special military operation' because that would lead to 'unjustified losses.' Both statements are a part of the Kremlin's consolidated effort to justify Putin's costly war effort to Russian domestic audiences who are increasingly making greater sacrifices to fulfill the Kremlin's unrealistic goals," the report said.
The ISW recalled that the russian military had not won a single significant victory since the fall of Lysychansk on July 3.
"Putin and Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) officials have made numerous appearances and offered vague justifications for military failures in recent days, also likely in an effort to downplay the effects of the protracted war," the institute's report says.
Key ISW findings for December 22:
- vladimir putin refuses to treat Volodymyr Zelensky as an equal and sovereign partner, which again shows that he is not interested in serious negotiations with Ukraine.
- putin's rhetoric is part of an ongoing russian information operation that denies the legitimacy of Ukraine as a sovereign state.
- putin strengthened the russian information operation to reduce Western security assistance to Ukraine.
- putin continues to abdicate responsibility for waging a protracted war in Ukraine.
- The russian general staff chief, valery gerasimov, tried to revive the debunked russian narrative that the Kremlin invaded Ukraine to prevent a fictitious planned Ukrainian attack on the russian-occupied Donbas and Crimea.
- The Kremlin said that sergei shoigu visited the front line in Ukraine for the second time in a week, probably to deflect criticism that shoigu is not considered one of the wartime leaders.
- The financier of the Wagner group, evgeny prigozhin, continues to try to increase the importance of his company to establish himself as a central figure of the russian ultra-nationalist community.
- The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, talked with russian officials about creating a safety zone around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
- russian terrorist forces continued to carry out limited counterattacks along the Kreminna-Svatove line, and Ukrainian troops continued counteroffensive operations in the Kreminna area.
- russian terrorist forces continued offensive operations in the area of Bakhmut and Avdiivka.
- The occupying forces are strengthening security measures in the Kherson region and Crimea due to fears of Ukrainian counteroffensive operations.
- A senior russian official denied claims of a second wave of mobilization amid ongoing mobilization.
- Ukrainian partisans continue to attack the russian occupation authorities.
