Has Vladimir Putin become all-powerful again?

Vladimir Putin at the controls of a nuclear bomber, the largest supersonic in the world. This is the image that Moscow is presenting, two years after the launch of its offensive in Ukraine. Is the head of the Kremlin really all-powerful? In 2022, when the Russian army invades Ukraine, it seizes 25% of the territory. Today it only occupies 17%, and the front line is bogged down in the East. Vladimir Putin, for his part, continues to play with symbols, in particular by establishing the fall of Avdiivka (Ukraine) as a national victory – even if it took the Russians four months to capture the city, in ruins.

All opposition silenced

While kyiv claims its difficulties and the West procrastinates on the continuation of their military aid, Vladimir tries to take advantage of the doubt which is growing among Ukraine’s allies. “So he is trying to strengthen his muscles, in his speech, in his appearance, to play with what has always been his strategy: to scare,” analyzes Nicolas Tenzer, geopolitologist and author of Notre Guerre, published by Editions de l’Observatoire ( 2024).

On March 15, he should be re-elected without surprise. In recent months, all opposition has been silenced: Alexeï Navalny died in a disorderly manner in a penal colony, Yevgeny Prigozhin, ex-ally of the president who became a traitor, disappeared in the crash of his plane.