Vladimir V. Putin of Russia looks like a commander in absentia, treating the war in Ukraine as unfortunate but distant. His options have narrowed, but he is still betting on outlasting his foes.
Even as Putin refers to the fighting as distant “tragic events,” the war keeps hitting home with growing fissures in the military leadership, unease among the Russian elite and worrying signs for the economy
Before the tanks rolled into Ukraine, liberal values were spreading fast in Russia. That, some observers say, was more threatening to Putin than his neighbour.