Vladimir Putin 'sees enemies everywhere' as his grip on power slowly erodes: former Kremlin official
18 October 2022
A prominent Russian attorney is weighing in on President Vladimir Putin's alleged concerns about the seemingly out-of-control state of the invasion of Ukraine.
During a recent interview with Newsweek, Mark Feygin —a former deputy in Russia's Federal Assembly— laid out his perspective on the war and how Putin "doesn't control" what is transpiring.
According to Feygin, this may be the first time in Putin's position of power that his future is uncertain. "This is the first time when his future is not defined by himself," Feygin said.
The uncertainty and instability of Putin's military regime have left him more apprehensive and isolated. "He's entering the eighth decade of his life, and his psychological condition is not good. He is somewhat paranoid right now, and he sees or expects that his own inner circle, his own people, may rejoice to a certain degree that these failures are happening to him."
"He sees enemies everywhere, and his condition is not improving. He sees that it's a definite threat to his political future."
Feygin also noted that Putin initially believed Russia's dominant armed forces would submerge in a relatively short period of time. More specifically, Putin is said to have believed their attack on Ukraine would not last for more than three days.
"He definitely wanted this war to be a two or three-day affair," Feygin said. "He wanted it to be a blitzkrieg. His generals convinced him that it would be an easy operation." Since the humiliating collapse of Russia's northern axis of invasion in the spring, the Kremlin has been trying and failing to seize back momentum.
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"Many times during this campaign, the goals of this war were changed," Feygin said. "He is also changing generals, he's changing his commanders on the fronts, he is changing dates...he now is frantically looking for new allies in Asia and the Middle East."
As the war continues, so do Putin's uncertainties. Feygin noted, "He is losing confidence and he doesn't know how to solve the problems that this war presents to him...each new defeat he takes personally."
He went on to offer an explanation of Putin’s strongarm tactics.
"He is sure he needs to convince the West to let him have those four regions that he partly occupies," he said. "He gets the news from the front that is not peachy, he understands that mobilization will probably not help to improve that situation, it might even make it worse."