Putin Will Soon Have To Make A Tough Choice

• 20.05.2026, 8:30

The war against Ukraine may have to be curtailed.

The Russian authorities led by Vladimir Putin may face unpleasant and difficult choices over the next year.

First option: they will have to wind down the war against Ukraine, the second - to move to an even tougher model of governing the country with further restrictions on the freedoms of citizens. This is stated in a report by London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).

The IISS analysts note that the Russian economy is gradually collapsing due to the protracted war. The country is facing a serious labor shortage, which is already estimated at 2.3 million people.

A parallel civilian sector of the economy is suffering amid overheated military production. The IISS believes that the Kremlin's current strategy of recruiting contract workers at the expense of high payments is no longer working.

The Russian Armed Forces' losses are no longer voluntary. Against this background, the Kremlin will have to either go for more forced mobilization and shift to a Soviet-style economy, or scale back its military ambitions for Ukraine.