Alexander Mercouris: A New Putin? From Diplomacy to War (Glenn Diesen)

Alexander Mercouris discusses changes in the Kremlin as NATO continues to escalate the war against Russia.



Russian strategic objectives. Leaders in Europe don't seem to fear war anymore, and the Russians want to change this attitude. The key thing to consider is that the only viable end to the war in Ukraine is a complete Russian military victory and take over of the country. The Russians previously held out for a negotiated peace, but have now almost entirely abandoned this idea - which is why they did not engage in assassination strikes. Expect the level of violence from the Russian side to escalate with very few limits on what they target.  

[Posted at the SpookyWeather2 blog, July 1, 2026.]