“There will be no stopping the war until Putin is eliminated,” security expert claims

Western leaders debate new aid packages while Russia doubles down on military spending.

But the real turning point, according to one leading security analyst, may not come from the front lines at all.

It may come from inside Russia itself.

“There will be no stopping the war until Putin is eliminated”

Political analyst Iulian Chifu, head of the Center for Conflict Prevention and Early Warning, believes the war will not end while Vladimir Putin remains in power.

“There will be no stopping the war until Putin is eliminated,” Chifu said, clarifying that by elimination he means removal from power, not necessarily physical harm.

According to him, the conflict will only stop when Russia either exhausts its financial and military resources or when influential oligarchs and Kremlin power circles decide the cost has become too high and move to retire Putin and his inner circle.

Russian history, he noted, shows that leadership changes have often come in dramatic and sometimes violent ways.

A war “without motivation and without perspective”

Chifu argues that peace plans negotiated between the United States, the European Union and Ukraine can only succeed if there is a substantial internal shift in Russia.

“That shift could come in two forms: either the removal of Putin and his group from power, or growing domestic pressure as resources are drained and the population questions why so much is being poured into what he describes as a war without motivation and without perspective.”

He emphasized that alignment between Washington, Brussels and Kyiv on a multi-point peace framework is important.

“Security guarantees and reconstruction agreements,” he said, “could support Ukraine’s long-term stability.”

Sanctions “worked in the long term”

While critics question whether Western sanctions have been effective, Chifu believes they have had significant impact over time.

“”Before the war, oil and gas revenues accounted for roughly half of Russia’s federal budget. Price caps, sanctions, secondary sanctions and moves against the so-called shadow fleet transporting Russian oil have substantially reduced those revenues,” he argues.

However, he also warns that Russia’s political system allows the leadership to shift the burden onto ordinary citizens. Taxes have increased, civilian budgets have been redirected to the military, and long-term demographic damage is mounting as young men are sent to the front.

“Vladimir Putin has destroyed his state for generations to come,” Chifu said, pointing to severe population losses and economic strain.

Sources: Agerpres; Ziare.com

This article is made and published by Kathrine Frich, who may have used AI in the preparation