Putin Has Been Given An Accurate Diagnosis

• 13.09.2026, 9:24

All the symptoms match.

Political strategist Mikhail Sheitelman believes that Putin has developed an addiction to war, similar to a drug addiction.

“Putin’s behavior is that of a person addicted to war. That’s exactly it—all the criteria. He’s a man who can’t give up war. He’s a man whose face changes when he talks about war. An alcoholic who thinks about what he’ll drink that evening smiles. And Putin is like that right now. He’s completely addicted to it,” said Mikhail Sheitelman.

The political strategist’s interview for the channel “Apostrophe TV” can be viewed on YouTube.

The political expert recalled an important fact from the early days of the full-scale war: “The wishes of the Russians make no sense, just as they didn’t from day one, because if we had been ready to grant their wishes from day one, we would have had to lock Ukraine away and go our separate ways, since they want Ukraine to cease to exist. We could have agreed to that or refused. As you can see, the Ukrainian people did not agree to it, the army did not agree to it, and decided to fight.”

Sheitelman also identified Putin’s true goal in the war in Ukraine: “Russia’s position has not changed during this time. It remains exactly the same: we want to kill all of you and take everything you have. They have never offered us any other alternatives, which is why, over the past four and a half years, no other option has emerged besides armed resistance and depriving Russia of its ability to wage war. What is the ‘key’? When Russia can no longer wage war, then the war will end. As long as Russia is capable of waging war, the war will continue. Unfortunately, this is inevitable.”