Politico: Putin's "great-power Project" Faces The End Of An Era
- 13.01.2026, 11:45
The Kremlin's allies are under attack.
Russian President Vladimir Putin faces serious challenges both on the frontline in Ukraine and on the international stage. His promise to "do it again" - to send the army west and achieve a Soviet-like victory - has so far been only partially fulfilled, writes Politico.
The war in Ukraine has already lasted 1,418 days, exceeding the length of Moscow's defense against the Nazis during World War II. Russia has captured only a fraction of the territory, Russian casualties reach an estimated 1.1 million, and Ukrainian strikes have left 600,000 people without power in the border region of Belgorod.
Putin's allies are under attack
The international network of allies that Putin spent two decades building is falling apart. The Kremlin has been defeated in the Middle East since the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria in 2024, and in South America, the United States has captured Nicolas Maduro. Moscow also failed to repel the seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker.
The publication writes: "Worse still, even though Moscow is stuck in Ukraine, the global network of allies Putin has spent two decades building appears to be crumbling, put to the test by an unexpectedly bellicose US President Donald Trump."
"An entire era is coming to an end," wrote pro-war blogger Maxim Kalashnikov, summarizing the criticism of the Russian leadership.
Putin himself has yet to comment on events in either Venezuela or Iran. The dictator is true to his habit of sending subordinates to talk about bad news.
Despite the defeats, the Kremlin is eager to show its might. Last week, a hypersonic Oreshnik missile was launched at Ukraine. According to former diplomat Boris Bondarev, Russia will continue to demonstrate dominance even in difficult circumstances, "Even if Russia is weak, the Kremlin will seek to show that it is strong."
Russia has never had real allies in Venezuela and Iran, and the aid it provides is often just propaganda. Iran and Venezuela do not view Moscow as a protector in the event of critical crises, as they did with Syria, the publication concludes.