War won't end on battlefield, but in Kremlin

At the end of World War II, the moment came when the defeat of the Reich became inevitable. The resources were exhausted, they would not be enough even for one front, let alone two.

Could the Reich have surrendered in this situation? Theoretically, yes. It would have saved many lives on all sides, preserved the remnants of industry, and bargained for some concessions that would have been gladly accepted by the allies in the anti-Hitler coalition.

“Hitler continued a hopeless war, throwing school-age boys to their deaths, sacrificing not the present of the German people, but their future.”

But Hitler continued the hopeless war, throwing school-age boys to their deaths, sacrificing not the present of the German people but their future. Perhaps some ardent fanatics believed that the Fuhrer, in his genius, was about to get the Wunderwaffe, which was ready and waiting for his time. But he himself knew for sure that nothing of the sort existed and would ever exist.

There was no rationality in the Fuhrer's actions. He shot himself only when the troops entered Berlin.

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Soon enough, the moment will come when Russia's defeat will be inevitable. (Strategically, it has already happened, because Russia has no better scenarios with peace than the previous one, but in fact, Russia's defeat must be sealed on the battlefield and by post-war legal decisions.)

Will Putin end the war in this situation? Theoretically, he should. Although Russia has much more resources than the Reich at the end of the war, the war is pointless. Under media control, Putin can 'sell' any idea, so purely semantically, Russia can declare its victory 'for domestic use' at any time, without needing military success.

“The war will not end on the battlefield. It can only end where it began, in the Kremlin. Ending the war means irreversible changes in Russia itself. And this requires a strategy for such a victory, a coalition, and allies in Russia itself.”

But Putin will not stop the war, because that would mean his end as a leader. A weak leader must be removed immediately, and there are plenty of candidates, from pseudo-liberals to outright Nazis.

So the war cannot end.

The war will not end on the battlefield. It can only end where it began, in the Kremlin. The end of the war means irreversible changes in Russia itself. And this requires a strategy for such a victory, a coalition, and allies in Russia itself.

The Ukrainian counteroffensive will begin soon. I believe it will be very successful. But it will not bring victory. It's time to think about how to win after a successful counteroffensive.

Source

About the author. Valeriy Pekar, lecturer at the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. 

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