Vladimir Putin is getting his big military parade—but not the one he spent two decades building his image around, writes Yaroslav Trofimov in a Wall Street Journal news analysis. As Russia prepares to mark May 9, the sacred World War II victory holiday that underpins Putin's strongman persona, this year's celebration comes with no battlefield wins in Ukraine, canceled tank displays, nervous security measures, and Ukrainian drones repeatedly striking deep inside Russia.
Trofimov writes that what once shored up Putin's authority is now eroding it. The Ukraine war has lasted longer than the Soviet fight against Nazi Germany, Russian casualties are massive, and attacks on oil refineries and distant regions have brought the conflict home to citizens who previously watched from afar. Nationalist bloggers, loyalist influencers, and even apolitical celebrities are publicly criticizing the government, while rumors of infighting and coups swirl. Putin is even said to be using bunkers more frequently.
- "It doesn't mean that revolution is imminent, nor that Putin, currently 73 years old, will be sidelined soon," writes Trofimov. "But the change in mood is remarkable when compared with just last December, when Russian officials were buoyed by hopes that President Trump will pressure Ukraine into a peace deal on Moscow's terms, lifting economic sanctions and unleashing a business bonanza."
,
uBlock 
,
and
Ghostery 
)
