Part 4/10:
This brutal recruitment approach underscores Russia’s desperate efforts to sustain its war effort amid mounting casualties. Despite these losses, President Vladimir Putin appears undeterred, perhaps viewing his adversaries’ and allies’ wavering support as an opportunity. Putin’s strategic calculus is driven by the belief that, with increasing manpower and a Western landscape increasingly divided on support for Ukraine, he can either outwait the West into exhaustion or negotiate a settlement on favorable terms.