Why Putin Is Fighting On, Even as His Problems Multiply
There is little sign that public exhaustion, economic headwinds or increased Ukrainian strikes are changing the Russian leader’s view that he will eventually achieve victory. Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that despite Moscow’s challenges, he believes Kyiv’s situation is worse. Pool photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko By Paul Sonne (image below) Reporting from Berlin The New York Times Aug. 28, 2026 Updated 5:22 p.m. ET In his fifth year of war, difficulties are mounting for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia. His troops have slowed on the battlefield. His spending on the war has ballooned beyond expectations. His population is increasingly fearful of what’s next. And his ability to project control has been undercut by Ukrainian strikes across Russia, with e-commerce warehouses, oil refineries and other facilities going up in flames on a near daily basis. The situation has deteriorated to the point that the C.I.A. director, John Ratcliffe, made a rare visit...