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Danish Ekstra Bladet writes:

Expert: Three scenarios left for Putin

The war in Ukraine is likely to have a deadly outcome for the Russian president, says expert

There is no doubt that the past weeks of fighting in Ukraine have given the Ukrainian forces blood on their teeth.

Despite Putin's recent annexation of four Ukrainian regions, several experts tell Dagbladet and Expressen, among others, that Russian forces are forced to dance to the tune of the Ukrainians.

According to the Swedish newspaper Expressen, Putin even has only three scenarios left - and none of them is winning the battle in Ukraine.

Dismissed, killed or suicide
Senior analyst at the Institute for Psychological Defence in Sweden Per Enerud sees no bright future for the Russian president.

According to him, there is a high probability that the president will not come out of the war alive.

- Either he will be deposed, killed or commit suicide, Enerud tells the newspaper.

Russia expert at the Institute for Foreign Policy in Sweden Hugo von Essen also does not see much chance for Russia.

- Putin will be forced to abandon Ukraine if the Russian army collapses, is defeated or forced out of the country, says Hugo von Essen.

The meat grinder
President Putin has just mobilised 300,000 Russian troops, but experts don't think that will give Russia much chance of winning either.

- The new forces won't get much training or weapons before they are sent to the 'meat grinder', says Palle Ydstebø, a colonel lieutenant at the Norwegian Defence College, to the Norwegian newspaper Dagbladet.

Despite the many recent defeats, Putin still seems to have the support of the Russian people.

According to the independent Russian Analysis Centre, as many as 77% of the population support the president, while 21% are against him.

And if Russia ends up being chased out of Ukraine, even that will not make Putin admit defeat to the Russian people.

According to Ydstebø, the Ukrainians stop fighting at the border with Russia, and so Putin will announce through the state-controlled media that Russia has succeeded in defending its borders against the West.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

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