Russians Have Begun To Openly Explain The Benefits Of Defeat In The War With Ukraine

• 28.05.2026, 9:42

The Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper took up the case.

The pro-Kremlin publication Moskovsky Komsomolets has published an article titled "Amazing Defeats: When Geopolitical Losses Can Be More Useful Than Brilliant Victories."

In the article, author Dmitri Krasnov - a lawyer and member of the Public Chamber of Moscow - writes that "major geopolitical defeats were sometimes more useful than brilliant victories."

"Each military defeat, each 'shameful peace' did not destroy Rus, Russia, but made it stronger and caused in the future expansion of borders and strengthening of positions," Krasnov states.

According to him, "any shameful peace" generated "degreed elites and more freedom for the people," and "the defeated country began to rapidly gain strength."

The author believes that Peter the First became "the Great" "because he was able to make the right decision after a defeat in one battle, not in the whole war":

"He had enough of one Narva kick to understand what others thought of only after the loss of Sevastopol, Port Arthur or entire provinces under the Brest Peace."

"Alas, to repeat Peter's experience, you have to be that great. Elites are always closer to the throne than commoners, so it is not easy for the leadership of a power to make a decision breaking the vicious circle before defeat," he concluded.

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