Newsweek: Putin Faces A Difficult Choice

The clock is ticking.

Vladimir Putin finds himself facing a dilemma ahead of the State Duma elections, which will take place this September, even though his party, United Russia, is unlikely to lose. This is reported in an article by Newsweek, published on August 6.

The publication noted that the Kremlin leader’s concerns stem from Ukraine’s successes on the front lines, Ukrainian strikes deep into Russian territory, and the consequences the aggressor nation is facing as a result. Newsweek noted that the “election clock” is ticking inexorably for the Kremlin, as all these factors are increasingly affecting the domestic situation in Russia, forcing the Kremlin to balance between the war and internal stability.

According to Newsweek, strikes on oil refineries, energy infrastructure, and logistics facilities have led to fuel shortages, a decline in petroleum product exports, and rising prices. Gasoline production this summer was about one-third lower than last year’s level, and fuel shortages are being observed in many regions. The Central Bank lowered its GDP growth forecast for 2026 from 1% to 0%, which raised the inflation forecast to 6–7%. The article notes that an increase in the VAT rate and tighter tax policies are creating an additional burden.

The publication emphasized that, under these circumstances, only a mobilization in Russia could influence the situation. Therefore, Putin finds himself facing a difficult choice: to announce a new wave of mobilization into the ranks of the occupying army or to continue hiding the true consequences of the war from the public.

According to the author of the article, mass mobilization could offset Russian losses on the front lines, but the government is avoiding this step ahead of the elections due to the risk of widespread discontent among Russians. Polls show that an increasing number of Russians view the state of the economy and their standard of living negatively.

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