In what can only be described as a masterclass in diplomatic stubbornness, Vladimir Putin has declared that he will not budge an inch on Ukraine. This, as the Russian public’s war chatter shifts from 'glorious victory' to 'did we leave the gas on?' The Kremlin, ever the font of flexibility, insists that nothing has changed.
Which is a bit like saying the Titanic was merely undertaking a spot of redecoration as it hit the iceberg. Meanwhile, the Russian populace, once united in a frenzy of patriotic fervour, now seems to be experiencing what might charitably be called a 'pause for reflection.' But let us not get carried away.
This is not a sign of dissent. No, no. It is a nuanced, sophisticated recalibration of the national consciousness.
Like a man who, having drunk an entire bottle of vodka, suddenly realises he has a wife and children. The shift is real, but it is a shift of tone, not substance. The government’s messaging now focuses on 'patience' and 'fortitude,' which is rather like telling a man drowning in a river that he needs to improve his swimming technique.
And Putin? He remains the solid, unyielding rock in this sea of change. A rock that, one suspects, will eventually be found at the bottom of the ocean, still resolutely refusing to become sand.
But for now, the show goes on. The tanks roll. The propaganda drones on.
And the public, bless their cotton socks, continue to nod along, because what else is there to do? After all, in a country where the president has been in power longer than some of his citizens have been alive, change is a concept best left to the romantics and the suicidal. So here we are, ladies and gentlemen.
Vladimir Putin, uncompromising and unblinking. The Russian public, shifting and shuffling. And the rest of the world, watching through splayed fingers, wondering if this is a new act or the final curtain.
Only time will tell. But if history is any guide, it will be a long, cold, and utterly predictable finale.
