Vladimir Putin's war against Ukraine was never about protecting Russians or strengthening Russia's place in the world. It was always a war of neo-imperialist vanity, consolidation of power, organized theft and cultural annihilation, according to Marcus Kolga, writing for the National Post.
Putin's false pretexts and real objectives
When Putin announced his "special military operation" in February 2022, he claimed Russia was eliminating imaginary "Nazis" in Ukraine. In reality, the objective was to destroy Ukrainian identity, language and culture, re-colonize a democratic European nation, and prove to the Russian people and the world that Putin remained a leader of historic consequence.
Ukraine's land, resources and people were to be seized by force. Russian troops were sent not to liberate, but to subjugate, plunder and terrorize under false pretences.
The war's failure and Russia's dead end
Putin promised Russians a swift victory. Kremlin propagandists boasted that Kyiv would fall in three days, a prediction accepted by too many western analysts and governments. Four years later, Putin's war has reached a political, military, economic and social dead end. The 'three-day war' will become the legacy of his rule.
Russia's forces, once presented as unstoppable, have now been exposed as brutal, corrupt and strategically inept. They have failed to break Ukraine, failed to fracture Western support, and are increasingly unable to shield Russia from the consequences of Putin's aggression: rising inflation, punishing interest rates, a failing economy, growing social strain and declining public confidence in Putin himself.
Staggering human and material costs
The cost to lives, both Ukrainian and Russian, has been staggering. The United Nations has confirmed that nearly 16,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed since the full-scale invasion began, while Ukrainian authorities state that over 20,000 children have been abducted or forcibly transferred by Russian authorities. Western estimates suggest Russian casualties now exceed one million at an average rate of 35,000 casualties per month.
The material destruction is immense. Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction needs are estimated at over US$588 billion, with schools, hospitals, homes, energy systems, ports, railways and cultural sites still targeted by Russian missiles, drones and artillery. Yet the nation Putin is trying to erase is likely to emerge stronger than the Russia that tried to destroy it.
Ukraine's resilience and Russia's hollowing out
Against all odds, Ukraine has become one of the world's most battle-tested and innovative military powers. Its armed forces have transformed drone warfare, battlefield intelligence and logistics, while its society has endured years of terror without surrendering its democratic will. Supported by European integration and seized Russian assets, Ukraine could emerge as one of Europe's most important security powers. Russia, by contrast, is being hollowed out.
Sanctions, corruption, demographic decline, capital flight and Ukrainian strikes on Russian energy infrastructure are exposing the fragility of Putin's system. Drone attacks on refineries, pipelines and storage facilities – often thousands of kilometres from the front lines — are reducing capacity and pressuring a budget dependent on oil and gas revenues.
