According to foreign policy analysts, Russian President Vladimir Putin is becoming a “pariah,” or outsider, on the international scene as a result of his constant foray into Ukraine.
What Next?
While many feel it is too early to tell whether Putin’s ambitions to seize control of Ukraine will succeed (conceding there will almost certainly be some type of small victory), it is apparent the invasion has caused lasting damage to Russia.
“Russia will become a pariah on a worldwide level. It’s been on that course for over several years. Putin has been a figure of ridicule for even longer,” Rebekah Koffler, a former security intelligence agency expert raised in Russia, told Fox News Digital.
“Putin’s bargain is that he’d rather be feared than [ignored], because fear is equated with respect in Russian society. He’s used to being treated like an outcast.”
While Koffler feels that “a portion of the Russian population” is anti-war and concerned about the situation in Ukraine, she also points out Russians have elected Putin four times.
“They don’t think in the same way that Americans do. They have a Russian mentality. They’ve always wanted someone as strong as Putin, verging on cruel. Russians think that’s what’s best for the nation’s sovereignty,” Koffler said.
She then added that “Russian propaganda” is to blame and “is quite excellent at persuading people.”
Putin, on the other hand, according to Robert English, a director of Central European Studies from the University of Southern California, will encounter mounting domestic opposition.
“Putin’s future, in my opinion, is bleak. I believe he will face persistent opposition at home, maybe in the form of a coup, or some other form of a power grab, to force him out.”
“Even his key allies are beginning to realize the problem. It’s just a matter of how to do it if they benefit less by remaining loyal than they would if he were removed.”
Will Russia Recover?
As per English, even after Russia’s conflict in Ukraine is over and Putin is no longer in charge, the invasion’s reputational risk “will handicap Russia for a decade.”
As western countries impose harsh economic sanctions against Russia and Russian billionaires, the country’s civilians will suffer. According to English, Putin is thus his own biggest threat.
“Ultimately, the depletion of troops, foreign direct investment, popular support, and economic drain are all realities that he can’t ignore permanently,” the professor said.
“Though I believe he is resisting since he is living in a world of skewed intellect, delusions, and idealistic fantasies about the resurrection of the Russian Empire. This will take time to disintegrate.”
“Putin is fighting back valiantly, still trying to come up with that military success, even while the rest of the world watches it come to a standstill.”
