Is Putin foolish for continuing the ongoing war with Ukraine?

[wcmagumba]

I think it is stupid for Russian to continue the war against Ukraine that they seem to be losing these days. More and more Russian infrastructure is being destroyed along with Russia's ability to produce and sell oil, perhaps their major source of income as a nation...

[ColoringFool]

1. Besides being evil, corrupt, and criminal? Yes.

[EYESORE 9001]

2. It benefits someone in poot's oligarchy

Otherwise he’d have already been given a balcony boost straight to hell. I’d bet the oligarchs who have made out monetarily since the invasion of Ukraine (going back to Crimea) have remained most steadfast in their support for war. Link? My fevered imagination.

[DavidDvorkin]

3. I suspect he's trapped

He can't win, but he can't afford to admit that he's lost and to withdraw. A display of weakness would be suicide.

[maxsolomon]

4. It appears Putin's losing because you're hearing about Ukraine's attacks on Russian soil.

On the ground, they're making grinding, small advances, and are close to taking 3 Donbas cities: Sloviansk, Kramatorsk, and Druzhkivka. Basically, by destroying them.

Meanwhile, Russian barrages are taking a steady toll on nearly every Ukrainian city from Kyiv to Lviv to Odessa and terrorizing the populace every day.

They're both losing. Attrition is a real problem, and the question is who can hold out longer?

Putin is a monster for continuing. Putin was a monster for starting it.