Russian economy is doing markedly worse than Putin’s statements seek to suggest — ISW

This was reported by Ukrinform, citing the latest assessment from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Analysts refer to Putin’s statements on December 8 at a meeting of the Council for Strategic Development and National Projects, where he claimed that Russia’s GDP would grow next year, while unemployment would remain low and inflation moderate.

“The Kremlin’s recent economic policies indicate that the Russian economy is doing markedly worse than Putin’s statements seek to suggest, however. Putin intensified his efforts to portray the Russian economy as resilient and able to support protracted hostilities in Ukraine in the lead-up to the December 2 US-Russia meeting in Moscow, and Putin’s December 8 remarks are likely similarly aimed at influencing the ongoing peace negotiations,” the report says.

According to analysts, Putin is likely attempting to convince the United States that increased sanctions pressure will not have its intended effect on the Russian economy and will not push Putin to make compromises to end his war against Ukraine.

“Putin is also notably not discussing the ongoing war in Ukraine in his speeches on the Russian economy, likely in order to obscure the connections between Russia’s battlefield losses and economic problems. The Kremlin appears to be trying to dovetail its claims about the Russian economy with the false narrative that a Russian victory on the battlefield is inevitable. Both narratives aim to push the West and Ukraine into capitulating to Russia’s demands now out of fear of intensified, protracted Russian military operations in the future,” the report says.

ISW continues to assess that the West and Ukraine can leverage several key Russian battlefield and economic weaknesses to force the Kremlin to negotiate and make real concessions and that a Russian victory is not inevitable.

As reported by Ukrinform, U.S. President Donald Trump once again made several statements regarding Ukraine, boasting that under his presidency the United States not only does not spend money on the war but even profits from it, while reiterating his claim that he wants to stop the killing of people.

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