Joni Askola is a Finnish geopolitical analytical and PhD student at the Charles University in Prague.
Once seen as an absolute strategist, Putin made a number of mistakes during an unsuccessful invasion of Ukraine. They will define his heritage and accelerate Russia's fall. Let's take a closer look at them.
Putin miscalculated. Russia cannot achieve its strategic goals in Ukraine. The war exhausted Russia militarily, economically and diplomatically. It was a war he could never win.
Putin completely badly assessed the will of Ukraine. He expected the rapid fall of the country. Instead, Ukraine united, resisted and gained global support. This is the catastrophic mistake of the Russian leader.
Error 3: Invasion too little forces
He tried to force Ukraine to surrender, using limited forces. It failed. The authorities in Kiev did not bend – the nation fought even more fiercely. Russia lacked strength to achieve quick victory.
Error No. 4: Putin was waiting for 8 years for a full -scale war
If the Russian president wanted a full -scale war, he had the opportunity to bring her to it in 2014-2015. Ukraine was then more divided and less prepared. In 2022 she was stronger, more united and ready to fight.
Error No. 5: making war an existential issue
Putin presented the war as a fight for Russia's survival. It is dangerous when the war is not won. This does not leave a place the other way around and raises the cost of failure.
Error No. 6: Transformation of the war into genocide
By refusing Ukraine the right to exist and using genocidal rhetoric, Putin had to reckon with the fierce resistance of Ukrainians and long -term support from the Western countries. As a result, the war became extremely expensive for Russia and on many levels.
Error No. 7: Leaving hundreds of billions of dollars and assets abroad
Russia kept huge reserves in Western banks – and lost access to them. After the invasion, over $ 300 billion was frozen. (1 trillion PLN 122 billion 770 million) central bank assets. This is a huge loss in the war that requires long -term financing.
Error 8: Sacrifice of global influences
Putting everything on Ukraine, Putin exposed allies such as Armenia, Syria and other countries. She broke soft power (soft force of influence and influence) Russia. Even China and India keep a distance.
Error No. 9: Trust in the Wagner and Jewgenija Prigożyna groups
The Wagner Group certainly helped at the beginning, but the rebellion in 2023 humiliated Putin and revealed cracks in the perception of his power and control over the situation. Letting wavedies too much always has a price.
Error 10: Union and NATO extension
Putin wanted to weaken NATO. Instead, he revived them. Finland and Sweden joined the alliance. Defensive budgets soared up. The Russian border of NATO has become significantly extended.
Putin's heritage will not be a strategic brilliance, but too much ambition. He began a war, which he could not win, badly rated Ukraine and weakened Russia.
Like many dictators before him, he believed in his own myth. It will be his heritage – and he deserved it.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
