Russian society disfigured and degraded by the 'long war'

Moscow’s war has horribly damaged Ukraine, but Kyiv’s resolve to emerge as a proud European state remains unshakable. Russia, on the other hand, is sinking deeper into a hopeless acceptance of war as a way of life. The Kremlin’s determination to pursue confrontation with the “hostile” West condemns the unsettled domestic population to further degradation. As Europe embraces Ukraine, Russia finds it harder to deny that every effort to keep the war going makes its future more forlorn and grim. The war’s course will be determined not only by the balance of military capabilities but also by the clash of hopes for a better future. Every bit of Western solidarity adds to Ukraine’s edge, and every twist of Putin’s repressions diminishes Russia’s stamina.