The prolongation of the war increases threats for Russia - Media.

The Russian Kremlin has miscalculated its plans regarding Ukraine, believes Bloomberg Opinion columnist Mark Champion. He notes that the Russian economy is losing its strength and is being sustained by a 'Teflon shield' that is already beginning to crack. In this regard, Champion writes that the new US administration has a chance to be a strong party during negotiations with Putin.

According to Champion, some of the Kremlin's trump cards depend on the choices made in the West, or are contested by Ukraine. He also emphasizes that Putin's threats of a nuclear strike are bluffs, sometimes effective, but now it could limit the supply of weapons to Ukraine.

Craig Kennedy, a former American banker, claims that the Russian economy is in a bitter situation. The longer Russia relies on government off-budget lending to finance the war, the greater the risk of default on loans.

Thus, Champion calls to seize this opportunity to change Putin's position during negotiations, but not as an alternative to a peaceful settlement. The US and Europe must realize that the worst they can do is to strengthen Putin's position.

Risk of default and negotiations

Craig Kennedy notes that the level of corporate debt in Russia has significantly increased, especially due to concessional loans that the state has provided to defense contractors. This creates a risk of loan default that could spiral out of control.

Therefore, Putin cannot count on more Time to continue the invasion, and the US and Europe must realize that strengthening Putin's position before negotiations is not a good strategy for resolving the conflict.