Vladimir Putin is not experiencing his best moments in Russia. The country is experiencing a certain economic stagnation, and its soldiers are retreating on the Ukrainian front for the second consecutive month. Last Wednesday, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, known as the Russian Davos, could not have started worse, as several districts of the city were attacked by Ukrainian drones.
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Russian citizens can no longer live on the sidelines of the conflict in Ukraine, because some of their main cities have become relatively easy targets for Ukrainian drones. Putin already suffered the embarrassment during the Victory Parade last May of not being able to display his tanks and heavy weaponry for fear of these attacks. On the front, studies estimate that Ukraine is killing or seriously wounding an average of 35,000 Russian soldiers per month, and the Kremlin does not have time to replace them with sufficient guarantees.
As misfortunes never come alone, the United States House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to provide more aid to Ukraine and impose new sanctions on Russia, thanks to the votes of Republican representatives who defied Donald Trump’s slogans.
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And it is known that when there is a confrontation, the weakness of one contender causes the strengthening of the rival. That is why Volodymyr Zelenskyy saw the right moment yesterday to make public an open letter to Putin asking for a meeting to negotiate peace and declare a ceasefire. The letter, however, seems more an offense to the Russian leader than a sincere offer of dialogue.
As when he writes: “You may end up fighting not for the existence of Russia, but for your own existence.” And he adds that “after 26 years in power, age is starting to take its toll,” and he ironizes about the drones visiting “his economic forum.” These do not seem to be the most seductive messages to get Putin to sit down for a meeting, but Russia is certainly starting to show signs of weakness. It is an opportunity that should be seized, and it would be worthwhile for the EU to intervene in this phase seriously and without trolling.
