The Russian dictator Putin fears losing power if he stops the war against Ukraine – Israeli diplomat

The Russian president continues the war not because of military calculations or diplomacy. The reason, essentially, is one — the fear of losing power. This is how the behavior of the Kremlin is explained by the former Israeli ambassador to Russia, Arkady Mil-Man.

This was discussed on air by Espresso on December 19, 2025, by the Israeli diplomat, extraordinary and plenipotentiary ambassador of the State of Israel to the Russian Federation from 2003-2006, who now heads the program for studying Russia at the Israeli Institute of National Security, Arkady Mil-Man.

Compromise as a threat to the regime

According to Mil-Man, for Putin, any compromise — voluntary or imposed from outside — is equivalent to losing control. Even if the decision is dictated by economic pressure or a change in the US position, the result will be the same.

He emphasizes: at the moment when the war ceases to be a justification for mobilizing society, repression, and a closed economy, the system will begin to crumble. That is why Putin is not interested in de-escalation — for him, it is a matter of personal survival.

Propaganda instead of reality

Mil-Man paid special attention to the informational picture that the Kremlin deliberately forms for the outside world. He recalled numerous videos where Putin, in military uniform, receives reports from generals about “major successes” at the front.

These frames create the illusion of military superiority. But it quickly collapses when real facts contradict the official version.

Kupyansk as an example

The diplomat provided a specific example: while the Kremlin claims “full control” over Kupyansk, the President of Ukraine visits the city and publicly demonstrates the opposite.

Such episodes, according to him, undermine a key element of Russian propaganda — the myth of an allegedly inevitable victory. That is why it is so important for Putin to maintain the information bubble and prevent the destruction of this narrative on the international stage.

The Trump factor and Western expectations

Mil-Man expressed hope that Donald Trump and his entourage will still be informed of the real state of affairs. He emphasizes: the Russian army does not possess the advantage claimed by the Kremlin, and stories of a “breakthrough at the front” are part of a political staging.

Understanding this fact can change the approach to pressure on Moscow and deprive Putin of an important tool of external manipulation.

Sanctions as the limit of war

In this context, a statement by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, was also made. He noted that Russia’s ability to continue the war directly depends on the effectiveness of sanction pressure from the West.

Economic restrictions, according to him, remain a key factor capable of depriving the Kremlin of resources for a protracted conflict — and thus bringing closer the moment that Putin fears the most.

The war increasingly appears not as a means of achieving foreign policy goals, but as a mechanism for retaining power within the country. And it is in this context that the statements of Israeli experts and assessments of the situation around Russia acquire special significance for the international agenda, including the Israeli one — which continues to be analyzed by NAnews — News of Israel | Nikk.Agency.