Piontkovsky: Putin Is Caught In A Zugzwang

• 17.02.2026, 15:04

Everywhere you look, there is a terrible wedge for Russia.

Not only the seizure of the "shadow fleet" tankers, but also the deterioration of the economy and a number of other factors suggest that Putin's regime will be toppled, Russian oppositionist and political analyst Andrey Piontkovsky is confident. "The psychological breakdown inside the bunker will come after the fall of Iran and Cuba within a month," he said confidently in an interview for Roman Tsimbalyuk on YouTube.

The Russian oppositionist responded to a question about whether the regular arrest of Russian tankers of the "shadow fleet" would lead to an "explosion in the bunker": "It will also lead. It is difficult to predict whether it will happen that today a tanker is arrested and tomorrow a bunker will explode. Everything will lead to it: both sanctions and arrests. Everywhere you turn, there is a terrible wedge for Russia. These are the most obvious things: and China, and a million criminals, and the determination to arrest tankers."

"They have a zugzwang, especially Putin. What do you mean they will pop out? They can jump out now, if Ukraine is kind, it will agree to a ceasefire where we stand, according to Zelensky's formula, but these crazy "Polovtsians" and "Pechenegs" will tomorrow demand to give up Slavyansk and Kramatorsk. We need to step up the strikes against Russia. The fall of Iran and Cuba, hard isolation, oil embargo, increased missile strikes, including missile strikes. Looking at the way events are developing in the United States, I think Tomahawks will follow," Piontkovsky predicted.