What does Putin do next? Welcome to The i Paper’s opinion series in which our writers and experts take a deeper look at the future for the Russian leader.
• Putin is getting more desperate. It won’t end well• Furious Putin is trapped in a gilded cage. Only death will free him• Putin and Xi’s bromance could fall apart – and it’s all down to Trump• Putin has made a vast strategic error. This relationship shows us why• The worst war the Soviets ever fought is now haunting Putin• Putin has turned Russia into a ‘crack cocaine’ economy – he’s trapped• Putin’s desperate fight for global influence is turning into a quiet disaster• Putin’s personal obsession will cost him real power
Once President Donald Trump decides that his war on Iran has been resolved, it’s possible the attention of the United States will return to Vladimir Putin’s war on Ukraine.
Most of the key reasons why no ceasefire agreement over Ukraine was reached during 2025 are still in place. But now, Putin may be starting to realise he has more to gain from freezing the conflict than from continuing to fight.
Russia’s bankers and economists have protested publicly over the unsustainable cost of the war. For the moment, Putin is determined to push on – but when that changes, hard choices will need to be made over how the fighting can be suspended.
