Sunday, 11 May 2025
America Age
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Font ResizerAa
America AgeAmerica Age
Search
  • Trending
  • World
  • Politics
  • Opinion
  • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Money
    • Crypto & NFTs
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Travel
    • Fashion / Beauty
    • Art & Books
    • Culture
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
America Age > Blog > World > Putin’s dwindling options and isolation fuel fears about his next moves
World

Putin’s dwindling options and isolation fuel fears about his next moves

Enspirers | Editorial Board
Share
Putin’s dwindling options and isolation fuel fears about his next moves
SHARE

Washington — Western officials are warning that Russian President Vladimir Putin could resort to increasingly brutal and extreme tactics in Ukraine as Russian forces struggle to achieve their military objectives and questions arise about Putin’s grip on power.

A senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Wednesday that Russian forces advancing toward Kyiv “appear to be stalled” and were suffering overall from “logistical and sustainment problems as well as integration problems.”

“The Russians will learn from these missteps and try to overcome them,” the official said.

President Biden said Wednesday that the Russian leader was “isolated from the world more than ever,” as a raft of sanctions destabilizes the Russian economy and Moscow’s invasion is met with near-global condemnation.

Observers of the Kremlin have noted that Putin, a former intelligence officer previously known for his restraint, has appeared uncharacteristically agitated, delivering meandering screeds and publicly lashing out at his aides.

“He was always cold, calculating and ruthless. You know, a KGB man through and through,” said Mike Vickers, a former undersecretary of defense for intelligence, special operations officer and CIA officer who played an instrumental part in arming the Afghan insurgency during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s. “But he’s now more emotional, more erratic, more rambling, I think more reckless, perhaps from increasing self-isolation and confidence in himself.”

“This looks like a major strategic blunder that the potential losses way outweigh the gains,” Vickers added during a recent episode of CBS News’ “Intelligence Matters” podcast. “And so I think in that sense, he really is a different man now, and therefore potentially more dangerous.”

Current and former officials and people briefed on U.S. intelligence say agencies have assessed that Putin is an experienced, calculating and rational actor with a distinct worldview, but who has in recent years — and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic — become more isolated and unpredictable, relying on a dwindling circle of advisers and aides.

Sources who spoke with CBS News were not aware of credible information that Putin, apart from being nearly 70 years old, is physically ailing or suffering from neurological issues that would leave him detached from reality.

U.S. policymakers are asking for fresh insights into his thinking from the CIA and other agencies, where leadership analysts are tasked full-time with profiling world leaders like Putin and other decision-makers in foreign governments. Their roles involve combining and analyzing different types of collected intelligence — information obtained from human sources, intercepted communications, and via other means — to determine leaders’ motivations and their potential vulnerabilities.

Some Western officials have argued that Putin, while less restrained, has for decades made no secret of his agenda, motivations or frustrations.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the head of Russia's Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, a big business lobby group, at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 2, 2022. / Credit: MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty ImagesRussian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the head of Russia's Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, a big business lobby group, at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 2, 2022. / Credit: MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with the head of Russia’s Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, a big business lobby group, at the Kremlin in Moscow on March 2, 2022. / Credit: MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV/SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

“I think there’s been a logical, methodical plan that goes back a very long way, at least to 2007 when he put the world, and certainly Europe, on notice that Moscow would not accept the further expansion of NATO,” Fiona Hill, a longtime Russia expert and former National Security Council official, recently told Politico Magazine.

Former Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski, who now serves as a member of the European Parliament, compared the current situation to the years leading up to World War II.

“Identical to the 1930s … the leader of a major nation-state was telling us publicly that he has a plan of conquest. And our mistake was to think, ‘This is too nuts; he can’t possibly mean it.’ Both of them did mean it,” Sikorski told CBS News in a recent interview.

“[Putin] wants to undo the collapse of the Soviet Union, and he’s been clear about that,” he added.

The French news agency AFP quoted an anonymous official in French President Emmanuel Macron’s office as saying that Putin is now “more rigid and isolated” than he has been in the past.

“The Putin that [Macron] met at the Kremlin was not the same that he had seen in December 2019,” the official said, referring to Macron’s February meeting with Putin at the Kremlin.

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on February 7, 2022. / Credit: SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty ImagesFrench President Emmanuel Macron meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on February 7, 2022. / Credit: SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

French President Emmanuel Macron meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on February 7, 2022. / Credit: SPUTNIK/AFP via Getty Images

Concerns that Russia may soon employ prohibited weapons such as cluster munitions or thermobaric “vacuum” bombs have risen as unverified videos circulate on social media of their positioning on Ukrainian soil.

The International Criminal Court said Wednesday it would open an investigation into possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Ukraine, after 38 nations signed onto a referral for an expedited inquiry.

Speaking in Vienna, Michael Carpenter, the U.S. ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, said in a speech on Thursday that the U.S. had credible information the Russians were keeping lists of Ukrainians to be killed or sent to camps following a military occupation.

“Given what we have seen in past Russian operations, we expect that the Russian Federation will try to force the population to cooperate through intimidation, abuse, and repression—including through targeted killings, kidnappings, detentions, and physical abuse,” he said.

Margaret Brennan and Eleanor Watson contributed to this report.

Soldier stationed in California surprises mom at her workplace

Zookeeper introduces her newborn baby to gorilla friend

Little girl couldn’t contain her excitement after seeing her grandma

Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Pelosi backs ban on Russian oil imports Pelosi backs ban on Russian oil imports
Next Article Terrifying Putin Phone Call Warns ‘Worst Is Yet to Come’ Terrifying Putin Phone Call Warns ‘Worst Is Yet to Come’

Your Trusted Source for Accurate and Timely Updates!

Our commitment to accuracy, impartiality, and delivering breaking news as it happens has earned us the trust of a vast audience. Stay ahead with real-time updates on the latest events, trends.
FacebookLike
TwitterFollow
InstagramFollow
LinkedInFollow
MediumFollow
QuoraFollow
- Advertisement -
Ad image

Popular Posts

NAR: Settlement mandates ‘profit’ customers

Shopper guides from the commerce group supply a distinction to earlier messaging but additionally proceed…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

J.K. Rowling Slams Vladimir Putin on Twitter After He Defends Her Against ‘Cancel Culture’

J.K. Rowling slammed Vladimir Putin on Twitter following a television appearance in which the Russian…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Finest Working Footwear to Kick Off the New Yr

TMZ might accumulate a share of gross sales or different compensation from hyperlinks on this…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

Roborock Saros 10 vs. S8 MaxV Extremely: All the brand new upgrades

Whereas the Roborock Saros Z70's futuristic prehensile arm monopolised the highlight at CES, it wasn't…

By Enspirers | Editorial Board

You Might Also Like

Australia information reside: Canavan says Nationals ‘need a shake-up’ as social gathering prepares for management poll; Albanese to announce new ministry
World

Australia information reside: Canavan says Nationals ‘need a shake-up’ as social gathering prepares for management poll; Albanese to announce new ministry

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Ukraine prepared to satisfy Russia however provided that ceasefire agreed, says Zelenskyy
World

Ukraine prepared to satisfy Russia however provided that ceasefire agreed, says Zelenskyy

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
Ukraine prepared to satisfy Russia however provided that ceasefire agreed, says Zelenskyy
World

Ukraine warfare dwell: Zelenskyy welcomes Putin requires talks however says Russia should conform to ‘full, lasting, reliable’ ceasefire

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
After Blair’s bombshell, will Labour stick to or abandon internet zero?
World

After Blair’s bombshell, will Labour stick to or abandon internet zero?

By Enspirers | Editorial Board
America Age
Facebook Twitter Youtube

About US


America Age: Your instant connection to breaking stories and live updates. Stay informed with our real-time coverage across politics, tech, entertainment, and more. Your reliable source for 24/7 news.

Company
  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement
Contact Us
  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability
Terms of Use
  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices
© 2024 America Age. All Rights Reserved.
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?