The autocrat who has steered Russia for 22 years was embraced by many Russians for what they saw as his rationality and astute risk management. That image has been upended.
Author: Anton Troianovski
Many Russians Feel a Deep Unease Over Going to War
After months of tuning out American warnings that Vladimir Putin was preparing to invade Ukraine, Russians now realize that “this is not a game.”
Piece by Piece, Russia’s Rationale for a Ukraine Invasion Is Put in Place
Theatrical meetings and dubious battlefield reports have shaped the Kremlin’s narrative that war is being pushed on it by a United States determined to destroy Russia.
Putin’s Security Council meets as the Kremlin warns that ‘tensions are rising.’
The United States says Russia stands poised to attack Ukraine amid a frantic diplomatic push.
In Ukraine Crisis, the Looming Threat of a New Cold War
If he invades, President Vladimir V. Putin is inviting a new global struggle with the West. He should think about how the last one ended, analysts say.
Vladimir Putin: Crafty Strategist or Aggrieved and Reckless Leader?
Analysts puzzling over the Russian leader’s intentions say that his troop buildup around Ukraine could be a convincing bluff, but also posit that he could have fundamentally changed during the pandemic.
With Buildup on Land and Sea, Russia Closes in on Ukraine
Military drills in Belarus, deployments in western Russia and Crimea, and planned naval exercises in the Black Sea gave an ominous undertone to a continuing diplomatic scramble.
Putin Is Operating on His Own Timetable, and It May Be a Long One
The standoff between Russia and the West over Ukraine could turn into a drawn-out and dangerous diplomatic slog toward a difficult settlement.
The Hard-Line Russian Advisers Who Have Putin’s Ear
Three reactionary security officials dedicated to “traditional values” and restoring Soviet glory will figure prominently in the decision whether to invade Ukraine.