Russian state television pundits conceded that Russia could lose its war in Ukraine during a recent broadcast.
In a discussion hosted by Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov, two Vladimir Putin allies suggested that Moscow was facing an uncertain future in Ukraine as the war nears its second anniversary, according to a translated clip shared to X, formerly Twitter, by Russian Media Monitor founder Julia Davis on Monday.
Yevgeny Buzhinsky, a retired Russian lieutenant-general, warned that Russia might “simply lose” the war as he argued in favor of Putin’s government increasing weapons production and spending more on defense contracts during the ongoing conflict.
Solovyov objected to Buzhinsky’s assessment, insisting that Russia “cannot lose, because who needs the world if Russia isn’t in it?” Andrey Sidorov, dean of world politics at Moscow State University, then argued that the notion of Russia’s invincibility “doesn’t work” before invoking a boiled frog analogy.
Serhii Mykhalchuk/Global Images Ukraine
“The thesis that Russia can’t lose doesn’t quite work, judging by the events of the 20th century,” Sidorov said. “Both the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union have lost.”
“If you remember the analogy with a frog,” he continued. “If you throw it in the boiling water it will jump out; but it won’t if you heat it up gradually. From the standpoint of the West, Russia is the frog that is being cooked.”
Newsweek reached out for comment to Putin’s office via email on Tuesday.
Sidorov went on to say that Moscow’s enemies would “keep ratcheting up” efforts to “divide the Russian society” while “counting on” the war not ending in a “large-scale nuclear conflict.”
The discussion then turned to a celebration of “strife” within the United States, with Sidorov mentioning the U.S.-Mexico border standoff between Republicans and Democrats and the impending presidential election.
Sidorov seemingly rejoiced in the ongoing dispute in Texas, where Republican Governor Gregg Abbott reacted with defiance to a Supreme Court ruling allowing the Biden administration to remove his border security measures.
“It used to be that a decision by the Supreme Court in the U.S. was final,” said Sidorov. “Today, we are getting a new precedent. The Supreme Court issues a ruling and it’s not the end! They’re splitting apart.”
During a September appearance on Solovyov’s show, Sidorov expressed his support for former President Donald Trump, touting the ex-president as “the destroyer” who is capable of eliminating the U.S. from the world stage by bringing about a new civil war.
“If he gets elected, everything we said about civil war will be on their agenda, in reality,” Sidorov said. “If one of the Democrats gets elected, this beat will go on. Trump can really get it to the point that our geopolitical adversary will fall apart—without any missiles.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.