Putin may provoke escalation of war in Ukraine before May 9 to justify mobilization and test Russians' loyalty
Russian President Vladimir Putin could deliberately provoke Ukraine to attack Moscow on May 9, which is why the Russian armed forces would have ignored Kiev's proposal for a temporary truce on the night of May 5-6, writes the Polish publication Rzeczpospolita.
Vladimir Putin could be deliberately provoking Ukraine to attack Moscow. PHOTO: Shutterstock
According to the publication, the Kremlin leader would thus try to test the loyalty of the population in the face of a new wave of forced mobilization.
Journalists argue that if Putin wants Ukraine not to prevent the May 9 parade, Russia should have at least agreed to a temporary ceasefire. In addition, they say that Russia's oil infrastructure and fuel depots, recently damaged by Ukrainian drones and missiles, need to be restored.
The analysis also shows that Putin could try to provoke an attack on Moscow during this period, in the context in which the older narratives regarding the war no longer convince the population, against the background of the deterioration of the economic situation, increased repression, censorship and restriction of access to the Internet.
The authors of the material state that the appearance of Ukrainian drones during the parade could be used by the Kremlin as a pretext to test the loyalty of the power circle and trigger a new wave of forced mobilization.
The publication also claims that this context could give Russia a reason to accuse Ukraine of the failure of peace negotiations and possibly justify a further escalation of the conflict.
We remind you that a few days ago the Kremlin threatened Kiev with a massive attack on the city center.
“One thing is certain – after five years of major war, Putin is betting on escalation to break the stalemate. He does not envision a war-free Russia, as easing repression and censorship would be risky for his regime”the quoted journalists conclude.
