Putin bets Europe’s Ukraine support will collapse as Russia escalates

The Washington Post reports Vladimir Putin is betting that European support for Ukraine will crumble under domestic pressures: student unrest in France, political instability in Germany, and a continent-wide fuel crisis. Officials and analysts cited by the paper say Putin has not softened his maximalist demands despite sanctions strain and a growing Russian budget deficit, because he believes Russia can outlast both Ukraine and Europe.

Russia is reportedly intensifying strikes on Kyiv's civilian infrastructure to make the capital unlivable by winter, alongside a broader hybrid campaign of disinformation, cyberattacks, sabotage, and renewed nuclear threats. A Russian official told the paper that peace talks are going nowhere and that the strategy is to escalate pressure on Europe directly.

The report notes rising poll numbers for Russia-sympathetic politicians like France's Marine Le Pen and Germany's AfD, both of whom have criticized continued funding for Ukraine amid domestic economic strain. Putin reportedly views this political shift, combined with the Trump administration's retreat from seeking new Ukraine funding from Congress, as evidence the tide is turning his way.

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