Opinion: Why Putin wants a ‘forever war’<br />In an opinion piece, Mark Galeotti discusses why Russian President Vladimir Putin may see the conflict in Ukraine as a "forever war."<br />While Westerners view a "forever war" as a negative outcome, Putin likely sees it as a goal.<br />Putin recently made September 30 an official holiday, marking the one-year anniversary of the annexation of Ukraine's regions.<br />Putin sees the conflict with Ukraine as a global struggle with the West, in which Ukraine is just one battlefield.<br />Putin believes that Russia is locked in an existential struggle with a hostile West, with no end in sight.<br />The "forever war" becomes the organizing principle of "late Putinism," justifying the tightening grip of repression and increased military expenditure.<br />The idea of a "forever war" is demoralizing to Putin's enemies, making it difficult to imagine a lasting peace.<br />While no war lasts forever, peace is still far from being achieved in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.<br />#latestnews #news #cnn
