Putin can no longer claim victory in Ukraine, Nobel Peace Prize winner tells BBC

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov believes Russian President Vladimir Putin can no longer claim victory in Ukraine, describing the ongoing conflict as the bloodiest in Europe since World War II. Muratov, speaking to the BBC, argued that the war, which has lasted nearly five years and involved the destruction of two Slavic nations, cannot be considered a victory regardless of its outcome.

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There will never be 'victory,' because what has been going on for nearly five years – no matter how it ends – can no longer be considered a victory.

Muratov also detailed a severe crackdown on free speech in Russia, accelerated since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He stated that hundreds of opinion leaders have been labeled 'foreign agents,' 'extremists,' or 'terrorists.' Muratov conservatively estimates that at least 1,500 people are imprisoned for speaking out against current state policy, a figure he notes is three times higher than during the KGB era in the USSR.

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It cannot be a victory when two Slavic nations have ripped a million people to shreds. Or more than a million.

Regarding the potential use of nuclear weapons, Muratov dismissed political experts who claim to know Putin's thoughts as 'charlatans,' comparing their insights to astrology. However, he pointed to a concerning trend: the need for nuclear weapons has been mentioned over 500 times since the beginning of the year, not just by fringe figures but also on state television and at a state-run economic forum. Muratov questioned whether Russia's security has genuinely increased, citing Ukrainian drone attacks and disruptions to essential services like petrol and mobile internet.

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All those political experts who say 'Putin thinks this' or 'Putin is scared of that'…they're all charlatans. It's in the same league as astrology. Nobody knows what's going on in Vladimir Putin's head.