“They’ll hang me”: why Putin chooses escalation over peace

After several weeks of deliberation, in the summer of 2026, Volodymyr Putin decided on another round of escalation in the war against Ukraine.

This is reported by The Economist.

At the heart of this step lies his main fear – the loss of his own life and power. In conversations with those close to him, the Russian dictator frankly admitted: “They will hang me” – if Russia cannot achieve the minimum goal – the complete capture of Donbas.

Ending the war without this outcome is deadly dangerous for Putin, because the logic of the regime he built dictates the main rule: never show weakness under any circumstances.

The impetus for new actions could have been the visit of CIA Director John Ratcliffe to Moscow in late August. The Russian president perceived this visit as a sign of Washington’s weakness – similar to how he viewed the arrival of the head of American intelligence in the fall of 2021 before a full-scale invasion.

The new wave of escalation involves an intensification of hybrid warfare against Europe: the West fears sabotage, attacks on arms supply routes and European defense enterprises. At the same time, the Kremlin is still trying to avoid a direct military clash with NATO.

For Ukraine, this will mean increased massive attacks on energy infrastructure and the covert sending of another 300,000–400,000 people to the front due to pressure from local authorities without an official announcement of a new mobilization.

According to The Economist, attempts to cover up internal problems with escalation and repression will not save the regime, but will only increase instability within Russia itself.

It was previously reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe, during a secret visit to Moscow, proposed holding a trilateral summit involving US President Donald Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Also follow “Pryamim” on Facebook, X, Telegram, and Instagram.