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Less than a week after his inauguration for his fifth six-year term, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin reshuffled his entire cabinet, undertaking a major offensive against Ukraine. A notable shift is his appointment of an economist without any military background as the next Minister of Defense. This unexpected decision might suggest Putin intends to keep 20% of Ukraine’s territory currently controlled by the Russian armed forces.
The new Defense Minister, Andrey Belousov, is a veteran apparatchik in the Russian bureaucracy and has held several notable positions. Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitriy Peskov, explained that Putin’s approach is to favor innovation, hence appointing a civilian to lead the Ministry of Defense.
Belousov is seen as a “brainy strategist” and a “battle-tested and skilled bureaucratic fighter” who understands bureaucratic battles within the Russian government. Putin sees the conflict with the West over control of the post-Soviet space in Eurasia as permanent. This is existential for Russia, and Moscow views Ukraine and other former Soviet states as its strategic buffer zone against NATO.
Putin recognises the economic hardships the U.S and NATO are facing and thinks this prevents Washington from indefinitely financing military aid to Ukraine. Belousov is set to determine how to keep Russia’s war machine functional, as Putin aims for a long-term confrontation with the West.
Nevertheless, Putin’s secret admiration for America’s capitalist nature is evident in this move. Although he despises its values, he seeks to beat the U.S at its own game of economic efficiency. The overriding goal is to keep Ukraine away from NATO and within Moscow’s sphere of influence while preparing for a broader conflict if necessary. Putin hopes Belousov will be the roadmap to clear victory in Ukraine and act as a deterrent against a bigger war with the U.S. and NATO.
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