Russia's harsh rhetoric signals strategic dead end, says former Ukrainian envoy

Russia's escalating rhetoric, including threats of nuclear weapons or crippling Ukraine's energy grid, is a sign of desperation as Moscow approaches a strategic dead end, according to Volodymyr Yelchenko, former Ukrainian ambassador to Russia and head of the International Policy Research Department at the Pylyp Orlyk Institute.

"In my opinion, the escalation of rhetoric stems from the fact that Putin and, in general, the leadership of the Russian Federation understand that they are approaching a dead end, and, as has always been the case in the past, they are putting more and more on the line," Yelchenko told Ukrinform. He characterized this as a typical behavior pattern for Russian politicians.

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In my opinion, the escalation of rhetoric stems from the fact that Putin and, in general, the leadership of the Russian Federation understand that they are approaching a dead end, and, as has always been the case in the past, they are putting more and more on the line.

This strategy, Yelchenko explained, aims to maintain moral and psychological pressure on the Ukrainian population, hoping they will compel Kyiv to end the war on unfavorable terms. Simultaneously, it seeks to impress upon the Western world the need to cease or reduce military, financial, and economic aid to Ukraine.

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Therefore, we should take this calmly. This is not the first time, and all these threats usually come to nothing.

"Therefore, we should take this calmly. This is not the first time, and all these threats usually come to nothing," he asserted. Yelchenko also commented on "leaked information" and interviews with Russian "elites" published in Western media, expressing confidence that such revelations could only occur with Kremlin approval. He believes these articles might even be written in the Kremlin itself, serving as a form of blackmail against the West by suggesting Russia's collapse could lead to the proliferation of nuclear weapons, terrorism, and uncontrolled migration.

Ultimately, Yelchenko suggested that only the dismantling of the Russian state could bring about genuine change, though he acknowledged this is a distant prospect. He is convinced that Russia, in its current form, will eventually collapse, following the historical pattern of empires. As the last Ukrainian ambassador to this "non-state," Yelchenko expressed hope that it would cease to exist.

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only the dismantling of the Russian state could bring about genuine change