The Russian war against Ukraine continues. The reason: Vladimir Putin doesn’t think about an end. What’s going on in the Russian president’s head? Vladimir Kaminer asks himself.
The British magazine “The Economist” gave its analytical report on the Kremlin’s war plans a snappy headline: “They will hang me.” The Russian president is said to have said the sentence in a small circle. As justification for his unwillingness to agree to a ceasefire. The British magazine claims to have confidential sources in it Moscowso the report was quoted and adopted by a number of newspapers.
On the question of who exactly “they” are, who the Russian president is so afraid of, this question is not addressed in the article. Who will wish him harm if he freezes his war? The sneaky West? The Ukrainian Armed Forces? Your own disappointed turbo patriots? The soldiers’ mothers? The war veterans? And did he really say that sentence? They’re just rumors.
To person
Vladimir Kaminer is a writer and columnist. He was born in Moscow in 1967 and has lived in Germany for decades. His best-known works include “Russian disco“Kaminer’s current book”Mother’s Days. Stories about the heroines of everyday life” was published in August 2026.
The fact is, however, that when faced with the choice between slowing down the war and escalating it, the Russian leadership clearly chose escalation. In late summer, two meetings of the Security Council took place in Moscow to discuss the development of new weapons systems and the protection of the country’s own infrastructure.
The commanders of the two army groups in the Ukraine fighting, the “Center” group and the “East” group, were dismissed. New generals have been ordered to completely occupy eastern Ukraine at all costs by the end of the year, but by spring 2027 at the latest. The army is then to be restructured in order to completely break the Ukrainian defenses by 2029.
The war is changing
As a war winner, surrounded by war heroes and veterans, the Russian President would like to ceremoniously begin his new term in office as leader of the War Winners Party in 2030. The old man doesn’t feel old at all, he doesn’t “sway” when he walks, only his jokes are getting more and more stupid, which is seen all over the world as a sure sign of getting older. He could have made this joke to his new generals and told them: “If you don’t deliver, they’ll hang us all.” By “they” we mean the whole world outside, because it has loyal allies Russia None at the moment, except North Korea and the Iran.
The president loves his illusion that he can win a war against the entire world. Caught in this illusion, the president launched a new offensive in September. Air strikes on Ukraine intensified Kyiv has become a frontline city, bombs and rockets hail from the sky every day. The new school year in Kiev is now in jeopardy; it would be too dangerous for children to go to school under these circumstances.
