Zelenskyy bets war inside Russia will force Putin to take peace talks seriously

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is betting that carrying the war onto Russian soil, disrupting air travel and striking oil refineries, will pressure Vladimir Putin toward serious peace talks, Politico reported. The strategy aims to raise the war's cost for ordinary Russians faster than Putin can escalate strikes on Ukraine, with fuel shortages and e-commerce chaos already stirring public frustration inside Russia.

Analysts cited by Politico said the campaign is denting Putin's standing among elites more than the general public, though none see signs of an imminent coup, a prediction that has circulated before without panning out. A former British diplomat separately warned Ukraine faces a harder winter than Russia does, lacking sufficient defenses against ballistic missile strikes.

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