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Vladimir Putin remains committed to military escalation despite mounting economic strain and domestic budget deficits in Russia

Vladimir Putin continues to push for a military victory in Ukraine despite significant economic challenges and a record budget deficit within Russia. The administration announced that military spending and the defense industry will remain the top budget priority for the next three years, even as the Kremlin plans to offset costs by reducing civilian spending and increasing the financial burden on the Russian population. While Ukraine has successfully utilized long-range drones to strike Russian oil infrastructure and refineries, Vladimir Putin has signaled that a voluntary end to the aggression is not currently in his plans. Instead, the Russian government is expanding its armed forces, recently increasing the authorized strength by 25,000 personnel to reach a total of over 2.42 million. Analysts suggest that while Western powers often seek a negotiated off-ramp, Vladimir Putin operates under the logic of autocratic regime survival, where he must demonstrate a monopoly on state force. For a lasting peace, experts argue that Russia must eventually face a Nuremberg-type court for war crimes and pay substantial reparations to Ukraine for destroyed infrastructure and lost lives.

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