Vladimir Putin is in “survival mode” and desperately clinging to power as he goes “totally insane”, an expert has claimed.
The war in Ukraine has entered its third year following Russia’s invasion in February 2022.
So far, the conflict has seen both Ukraine and Russia make advances in their respective offensives, but neither side looks close to winning the war.
The conflict has left Russia extremely isolated on the world stage, but Putin’s grip on power remains strong.
Marie Mendras, an expert on Russian and post-Soviet studies, believes Putin is relying on the war to keep him in power.
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“Putin has managed to stay using more and more political violence and war.”
In recent weeks, Putin has seemingly sought to snuff out key opposition figures in Russia ahead of the presidential elections later this year.
Opposition figure Alexei Navalny died in prison having been jailed on ‘extremism’ charges. The Kremlin said he died suddenly after feeling unwell, but Western leaders have blamed Putin for his demise.
Boris Nadezhdin, a high-profile opponent to Putin who wanted to run against him on an anti-war platform, was barred from the election after the Kremlin claimed it had found problems with some of his signatures of support.
Mendras added that it is unlikely that Putin will face any kind of revolution in Russia.
She said: “The probability is that there will not be a revolution inside Russia because it is a dangerous dictatorship, but I believe Putin’s incapacity to claim a real victory in Ukraine makes it impossible for him to win.
“He may well claim victory….that is where we in the West must be extremely attentive.”
