Putin’s Backdown Could be Rhetorical

After months of threatening the start of Cold War 2.0, Russia’s Vladimir Putin has shifted from troop movements to talk of compromise.

The change of tune has been cautiously welcomed by the West, but experts and analysts warn that the Russian president is unlikely to be backing down.

“It would be immensely foolish to act upon what Putin says,” according to James Nixey, who heads the Russia and Eurasia Program at London-based think tank Chatham House. “It is a huge misreading of Vladimir Putin and everything that he stands for to think that he’s backing off now and it’s all over.”

Analysts said that Putin’s comments are less conciliatory than a change in tactics toward achieving his great ambition: Russia’s re-emergence as a superpower.

“The tone has changed for a simple reason – it benefits him,” Nixey said. “He doesn’t do anything that doesn’t benefit the Russian tactical game.”

The Russian leader has “an enormous toolbox” of various instruments to get what he wants – military capabilities, cyber-warfare, corruption and diplomacy, according to Nixey.

via CNBC

Content is for general information purposes only. It is not investment advice or a solution to buy or sell securities. Opinions are the authors; not necessarily that of OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc. or any of its affiliates, subsidiaries, officers or directors. If you would like to reproduce or redistribute any of the content found on MarketPulse, an award winning forex, commodities and global indices analysis and news site service produced by OANDA Business Information & Services, Inc., please access the RSS feed or contact us at info@marketpulse.com. Visit https://www.marketpulse.com/ to find out more about the beat of the global markets. © 2023 OANDA Business Information & Services Inc.