Mikhail Zygar never ceases to astonish me with his reporting on the Kremlin and analysis of the war in Ukraine.
The Russian journalist and author or The Last Pioneer newsletter told me earlier that Putin likely won’t be disappointed by Trump’s recent disparaging remarks about being disappointed in him and his failure to show up for peace talks, nor his claim on Truth Social that Kyiv can reclaim its lost territory in the war.
As proof, Mikhail quoted a post on Telegram by former Russian president, Dmitry Medvedev, mocking Trump’s “alternate reality”.
Medvedev’s post concludes about Trump: “I have no doubt that he’ll make another U-turn. He always does. He’ll probably ask the green pianist sign the capitulation in a couple of days. Or maybe fly to Mars with Musk, freshly forgiven. Or do something else very important—something that just might earn him a Nobel Prize.”
Mikhail points out - not for the first time - that Putin doesn’t need to win the war, to accomplish victory; he just needs it to keep going.
Meanwhile at home, Mikhail explains, Putin has been busy reshuffling the deck; he’s brought in the children of the old guard to fill top positions in the courts and the government. He’s also appointed his successor to lead the younger generation: himself. He has appointed his daughter to oversee his new pet project: keeping himself alive forever.
Mikhail also explains that the Russian Orthodox Church is trying to canonize Charlie Kirk. Kirk wasn’t Russian so this may be a bridge too far, but, says Mikhail, we should interpret it as an olive branch from Russia to Trump.
And wait to see what happens next.
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