“Russia can lose”: Elite demand from Putin to “pause” the military compressor in Ukraine
The Russian elite has split into two camps over a decade-long military operation in Ukraine. More and more government officials, officials and big businessmen. But there are those who benefit from military conflict.
About it writes “Layout” with reference to sources in the Kremlin, the State Duma and the Federation Council. According to the interlocutor in the Kremlin, the Russian authorities can now be divided into “supporters of a respite” and those who want to “put the squeeze on Ukraine.” But both are convinced that the military operation is not going as we would like.
At the end of the year, the authorities did not place the Russians with any bright victories, or a report on the goals set. It received Russian President Vladimir Putin and additional support after the unification of the four economies.
“Supporters of a respite” believe that the Kremlin should “pause everything” in order to attract the mobilized and organize other processes, including building up the work of military registration and enlistment offices, the transition of the economy to state rails, and so on. This requires at least several months, “free from sudden water movements,” explained a source in the State Duma.
This group is joined by more and more representatives of the elite – from Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, oligarchs and heads of state corporations, as well as deputies and senators. “Russia can lose,” believes representatives of the authorities and circles around the government, which positively affects the fact that everything is not going according to plan and does not know what to do. They are trying to look for something to make a possible manifestation of the disease for themselves, says the source.
A much smaller group represents a continuation of the conflict. They believe that victory is possible if the escalation of the conflict intensifies, in particular, by sending as many people as possible to the front and “not giving back” to Kyiv.
This part of the elite includes the head of Chechnya Ramzan Kadyrov, the founder of Wagner PMC Yevgeny Prigozhin, deputy chairman of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev, the active part of United Russia and the systemic opposition represented by the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, as well as deputy head of the presidential administration Sergei Kiriyenko and deputy chairman of the Federation Council Andrey close to the Presidential Administration Turchak.
Some big businessmen are also urging not to stop, because they have begun to acquire big weight changes in the power structure that were previously unshakable.
However, despite the support of the events, many members of the elite, including deputies of the State Duma and groups of the Federation Council, transported their relatives and children for the farewell. Most of them are slow to make it public due to its ubiquity. According to the source, one deputy sent even his own dogs abroad, he has “not counted”.
Putin managed to find a solution close to escalation, but it was postponed until after the New Year, as Russia is expected to enter a “hot time” and reliefs will be determined with a declining course of action.