Putin Prepares to Wreck Russia to Keep His War Alive

When you elect a dictator, be ready to mortgage the future — yours and your children’s — forever.

Putin sent his underlings — or perhaps their underlings — to pay a quiet visit to the Russian Central Bank in March 2025. In due course, the institution that had resisted intense political pressure for months finally caved. After holding out stubbornly against Kremlin demands to loosen policy, the bank began cutting interest rates — from 21% down to 17%.

With credit pressure easing slightly, the Russian Ministry of Economic “genius” took out its fine comb. It’s now busy hunting for every possible gap in the system to redirect money toward Putin’s war machine.

The draft 2026 Russian budget should tell U.S. President Donald Trump and Europe’s leaders everything they need to know. The comforting notion that the West will somehow “figure out” a way to convince Putin to stop the war is moot — it ain’t gonna work.

Kaja Kallas was right on day one, and she’s right today. Unless Putin faces military defeat, he’s not going to stop. He will gladly sacrifice Russia itself if that’s what it takes to destroy Europe and resurrect his dead empire.