As Putin’s sham elections play out and he predictably claims near-total endorsement from the Russian population, the picture inside Russia is becoming harder to conceal. Hundreds of drones reaching Moscow, the most heavily protected city in Russia, this weekend. These strikes are a visible reminder that Russia is far more vulnerable than the Kremlin would have its people believe.
On the battlefield, Ukraine is also demonstrating renewed momentum, including around Lyman and through the re-employment of tanks and armoured manoeuvre. Yet, at precisely the moment when Ukraine needs sustained political and military backing, its two principal Western supporters appear determined to make its position more difficult through geopolitical naivety, hesitation and prevarication.
