Is It The Beginning Of The End Of Vladimir Putin?

As Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war against Ukraine enters its second week, many wonder if it will turn out to be the graveyard of the Russian President.

Over the past 12 months, he has been building up his forces on the Ukrainian borders. According to Douglas Murray, those who believed he was ­definitely going to attack Ukraine tended to think he would try to seize only the eastern part of Ukraine where Russian is widely spoken. But Putin's forces have pushed to gain the whole country.

According to the columnist, Putin most likely imagined the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the rest of the government would flee or be easily captured. But the Russian leader didn’t count on his enemy’s deep well of resolve. Instead of fleeing, Zelenskyy stayed, and rallied his people to fight. It is Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian people who look strong, and Putin who looks weak.

Putin is already threatening nuclear war, but if he does so, it seems clear the world will not stand by. While Germany has allowed arms to start to be sent to Ukraine, Sweden, which thought that World War II was a time not to take sides, has agreed to help arm the Ukrainians. Even Switzerland has agreed to sanctions and other economic measures which are going to crash the economy of Russia. Putin probably imagined the invasion would make Russia stronger, but it has made every ­single person in his country unimaginably weaker.

Edward Lucas wrote that for the first time in years, Russians are suffering severe economic pain, and as sanctions bite, the rouble is in freefall. The columnist noted that dollars are running out, inflation is rocketing and cash machines are being emptied. About 5,000 Russians also died in the assault on Ukraine, and Putin's grip on power could soon start to look shaky. As Putin's invasion of Ukraine stutters, some are wondering if it could finally turn against the leader who has ruled Russia for 22 years.

According to Tom Tugendhat, Putin might think the peace talks aren’t great but defeat would be worse. The columnist noted that they might be the only way for him to save the country that he’s slowly destroying, and stay alive.

Meanwhile, Putin faces being tried for war crimes, reported Daily Mail. Lawyers at the International Criminal Court (ICC) recently shared that they were preparing for a full inquiry "as rapidly as possible."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that there's no doubt that Putin is already using "barbaric tactics, bombing civilian areas." He added that those involved in the "Russian onslaught should understand that all this will be collated in evidence to be used at a future time in what could be proceedings before the International Criminal Court."

Justice Secretary Dominic Raab urged Russian commanders to disobey orders that break international law, and said that there will be "no impunity for war crimes." He said that there is a clear determination from the international community to ensure that any "war crimes are held to account, whether it is Putin or those around him in Moscow or commanders on the ground." Raab added that if they carry out those orders, there is a reasonable prospect... that they "will end up spending their twilight years behind bars."

Commenting on whether Putin might face trial at the ICC, Raab said that they will "not allow those responsible just to sit it out and wait and hope international attention will move elsewhere."