WP: Kremlin Humiliated In The Eyes Of Key Allies
- 19.01.2026, 11:55
Putin will no longer be a force to be reckoned with, and neither will Trump.
Putin's authority is declining both domestically and internationally - in the eyes of US President Donald Trump, Moscow's key allies and the Russian pro-war community. This is what The Washington Post writes, citing analysts' assessments.
According to the publication, the war against Ukraine, which has dragged on and has no obvious prospect of ending, is increasingly irritating. Against this background, Russia's allies - Venezuela, Syria and Iran - are either losing ground or are under direct pressure from the United States, which makes the Kremlin's international guarantees less and less convincing.
The article notes that Putin's statements about foreign policy support are no longer taken seriously, and some pro-Kremlin radicals are demanding tougher and more decisive steps from the authorities to restore "lost authority."
"Russia has to do something terrible to regain its reputation. In Trump's world, only brutality, force and mass destruction matter," said far-right ideologue Alexander Dugin, commenting on the frustration of regime supporters.
The publication emphasizes that the U.S. administration's more transactional approach, focused on deals and profit rather than democratic values, has disoriented Russian foreign policy, which has traditionally been built on confrontation with Washington.
A former senior Kremlin official said on condition of anonymity that Putin was in a difficult situation: "His relations with Trump cannot be called a priority, but he is not ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of confrontation. The main goal is to end this war with dignity."
Despite signing strategic partnership agreements with Venezuela and Iran in 2025, the Kremlin has been virtually silent since the capture of Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces and U.S. statements of support for anti-government protests in Iran, limiting itself to calls for respect for international law.
Analysts believe that dependence on relations with Trump constrains Putin even in situations where the U.S. has taken direct action against Russian interests, including the seizure of an oil tanker. Meanwhile, Moscow can neither stabilize these countries nor help them resist U.S. pressure.
"Venezuela has long been a symbol of Russia's global influence and a signal to Washington of Moscow's presence in America's 'backyard.' Now this rhetoric has turned against the Kremlin," Gabuev emphasized.
The Washington Post also points out that the weakening of Russia's foreign policy position coincides with growing domestic discontent with the protracted war, which has shattered the myth of the country's military might and intensified socioeconomic problems.
A separate symbolic milestone is noted: the war against Ukraine has lasted longer than the USSR's participation in World War II. In pro-war circles, this is increasingly being hailed as a sign of Russia's strategic defeat.