Putin admits Russia's war in Ukraine is driven by boredom

Interpreting the words of a war criminal who seeks revenge on Ukrainian special services by targeting high-ranking general Igor Kirillov - who was killed in Moscow - and firing missiles at St. Nicholas Church is extremely challenging. However, let’s focus on a few key points from this latest statement by the Kremlin leader.

First, Putin has clearly articulated a national idea for Russia: go to war to make it shake. The head of the occupying power directly admitted that when the empire starts to crumble, a small victorious war is needed.

"When everything is calm, stable, and predictable, we get bored, stagnate, and crave a brouhaha. As soon as the 'excitement' begins, everything goes haywire - the whistling of bullets everywhere. It's horrible, terrible. Well, horrible, but not really horrible, horrible, horrible. Everything is measured by the economy," Putin said at a press conference.

So, with 800,000 Russians lost in the "special military operation," the search for meaning and solace continues. Murder and torture seem to offer Russians some comfort. This honest portrait of the Russians hasn't been depicted since Dostoevsky.

The second notable answer is Putin's response to whether he would have attacked Ukraine earlier. He honestly admitted that he regretted not doing it sooner. This should put an end to the debate in Ukraine about whether Putin would have attacked if Zelenskyy were not in power.

Let me remind you that Putin was already eyeing Crimea when Viktor Yanukovych’s chair was still warm. So, the question of an attack was always just a matter of preparation. By February 2022, unfortunately, Russia had built up enough resources for a quick strike on Kyiv. We were cutting ribbons on highways and near kindergartens, and that was the fatal mistake of President Zelenskyy, who finally realized that Putin is a dumbass.

Another interesting point is Putin’s statement that Russia has people to talk to in Ukraine. As he put it, “There are many of our guys there who want to rid the country of the Nazi regime.”

This applies not only to Yurii Boiko, but also to a number of Medvedchuk's political analysts who decided to cater to the TikTok generation. These Putin collaborators might be deep-cover agents, have brothers who received medals for the “special military operation,” or just be clueless figures sitting in Zelenskyy’s party. I don’t think President Zelenskyy was specifically recruiting agents, but when Ukrainian investigators find members of the Servant of the People party whose wives fled to Moscow a month before the full-scale invasion and are now working with paramilitary bodies there, it raises a lot of questions.

The 71-year-old Putin was trying to show the elites that he’s strong, healthy, and it’s too early to write him off - just like we love to do on Ukrainian TV, where we bring in some Russian opposition figure to talk about his “terminal cancer.”

Above all, Putin wants to demonstrate to Donald Trump how strong and healthy he is. He dreams of having a one-on-one conversation with the new American president about the redivision of Eastern Europe.

For the first time, Putin didn’t mention the four occupied Ukrainian regions. In fact, there were no harsh comments about the United States at all. This suggests that Putin clearly has high hopes for Trump - hopes that he will meet Putin’s demands during peace talks. It’s hard to say what exactly these hopes are based on, as there was no indication that Trump is preparing to fulfill Putin’s dream of returning to the days of the Iron Curtain.

Amid his comments about Trump, Putin made an interesting statement regarding Zelenskyy’s illegitimacy and the idea of signing agreements only after the next election. Putin knows full well the tight spot the current government is in: either win the war or ensure victory in the elections. It might be wise for Zelenskyy to revisit his promise to serve just one term and work towards a just peace for the country.

Otherwise, Putin will keep suggesting to Trump that it might be better to settle things between the two of them and place Ukraine somewhere in the transitional clauses of the agreement.

The Kremlin dictator is using the horror stories about Oreshnik and challenging Western air defenses to a duel for Trump.

It’s said that recently, Ukraine's presidential office has been considering appointing a bunch of new ambassadors. We should use every diplomatic tool at our disposal to make sure that frightened Europeans don’t take this game seriously. It’s crucial that Putin’s game is understood by Trump’s team and not taken at face value.

Talk of a “21st-century technological experiment” - with targeted strikes on Kyiv - signals that neither Putin nor his successor will be content with just a part of our territories for long.

The war in Russia is a national rumble, and the destruction of our sovereignty is what gives every Russian a sense of purpose before they die in some drunken brawl at home.

Especially for Espreso

About the author: Maryna Danyliuk-Yarmolaieva, journalist.

The editors don't always share the opinions expressed by the authors of the blogs.