Vladimir Putin’s world is shrinking quickly, and no amount of bombast, nuclear saber‑rattling, or choreographed summits can hide that fact. Too many still believe the Russian lie that victory in Ukraine is assured, even though the facts on the ground say otherwise. But when we look globally, it is clear that Putin’s Russia is rapidly losing allies, partners, and influence.
The Russian president once aspired to sit at the center of a revived great‑power system, a czar of the 21st century balancing East and West, disciplining neighbors and humiliating a decadent liberal order. What he has instead is a brittle network of unstable autocrats and nervous partners who are quietly planning for a post‑Putin future. The war in Ukraine, which Russia was supposed to win in a few days, has dragged on for almost four years and has destroyed the myth of Putin as master strategist.
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