Yusuf İnan
Journalist | Opinion Writer
Wise News Press – Izmir, Türkiye

Putin’s Ukraine Strategy Will Tear Russia Apart!

History is replete with examples of how miscalculations have brought great empires to their knees. The Russia-Ukraine war unfolding before our eyes today will be studied in the future as one of the prime examples of such "major strategic blunders." Vladimir Putin’s adventure, initiated with the dream of "regime change in Kyiv in three days," has turned into a three-year nightmare that has upended not just Russia, but all regional balances.

At this juncture, it is essential to ask: Can this be considered a success for Russia?

The numbers and the reality on the ground scream "No." Russia has lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers, its title of "superpower" has been damaged, and it has lost its gains in access to warm waters. What did it get in return? It was only able to occupy a small fraction of Ukrainian territory.

However, the real major loss is not territory, but strategic positioning. Putin’s fundamental argument was to stop NATO expansion. Yet, with this war, he has single-handedly made NATO a direct border neighbor to Russia. He has personally pushed the remaining ninety percent of Ukraine into the lap of the EU and the US, whom he views as rivals. He has strengthened the national sentiments of the Ukrainian people and their sense of belonging to their state more than ever before.

As long as Putin insists on this flawed strategy, Ukraine’s qualified human capital turns into a cheap resource for the West, and its underground riches become a controlled asset for the assisting countries. Let us not forget; nations do not have friendships, they have interests. While the West helps Ukraine, it is also fortifying its own geopolitical and economic interests. Russia consoles itself with a 10% occupation, while in reality, it is "gifting" the entirety of Ukraine to the Western bloc.

However, there is another side to the coin: Ukraine’s internal test.

The resistance of the Ukrainian people has garnered the respect of the entire world. While 7-8-year-old children donate their pocket money to the army, and the wives of soldiers on the front lines weave a spiritual shield, the Kyiv administration needs to be worthy of this sacrifice.

Exactly at this point, allegations of "wartime corruption," viewed with astonishment from Turkey as well, are nauseating. How can it be explained when administrators steal soldiers' materials and money while a country is fighting a war for its very existence? This situation is the greatest danger that could force allies who support and "pray for" Ukraine to change their minds.

Although Zelensky has managed the process well so far, high-level corruption is Ukraine’s "Achilles' heel." And being hit in this heel means losing Western support.

Another critical issue is "gratitude."

The complaints from Trump in the US and various leaders in Europe that "Ukraine does not know how to say thank you" are not new, and unfortunately, they are not baseless.

On this matter, I feel compelled to share a personal testimony with regret. Through "Fond İnan," of which I am the founder, we delivered aid ranging from fresh meat and basic foodstuffs to clothing to hundreds of thousands of poor Ukrainians for five years. We built a bridge of affection between Türkiye and Ukraine. However, we received not even a dry "thank you" from either current President Zelensky or the former president, Poroshenko.

Fond Inan – Yusuf INAN, Mykolaiv, Ukraine (2016)
Essential food supplies — including meat, pasta, rice, sugar, and bread — are being distributed to Ukrainians in need.

Fond Inan –  Mykolaiv, Ukraine (2016)
Essential food supplies — including meat, pasta, rice, sugar, and bread — are being distributed to Ukrainians in need.

Fond Inan – Kateryna INAN, Mykolaiv, Ukraine (2016)
Essential food supplies — including meat, pasta, rice, sugar, and bread — are being distributed to Ukrainians in need.

Mine might be a personal touchiness, but if nations providing billions of dollars in aid are saying the same thing, the Kyiv administration needs to sit down and think hard. Expressing gratitude for kindness is not just diplomatic courtesy; it is also a spiritual stance that attracts divine aid.

In summary; Russia is on the verge of strategic suicide, and Ukraine is right in the middle of a moral test. Ukraine must both cleanse itself of the internal virus of corruption and show loyalty to the hands extended to it. Otherwise, it will have to face not only Russian attacks but also the consequences of its own mistakes.

Yusuf İnan 

www.sehitlerolmez.com

Yusuf İnan is a journalist and writer.
He serves as Editor-in-Chief of WiseNewsPress.com, SehitlerOlmez.com, and YerelGundem.com.
He specializes in strategic and political analysis on Turkish and global affairs.