Vladimir Putin is refusing to halt the war in Ukraine without political concessions from Kyiv, even as gasoline shortages engulf 78 of Russia’s 83 regions and his approval ratings decline for the second consecutive week.
The Kremlin leader’s uncompromising stance comes just two months before State Duma elections, with mounting economic pressure forcing him to publicly acknowledge fuel problems for the first time. Russia is currently producing only 85,000 metric tons of gasoline per day against summer demand of 110,000 metric tons, according to Deutsche Welle.
Fuel Prices Surge as Shortages Spread
Ukrainian drone strikes on oil refineries have triggered a cascading fuel crisis across Russia. Gasoline prices have risen nearly 20 percent over the past year, with sales restrictions now in place at gas stations in regions that were previously shielded from the war’s economic consequences.
Rosgvardia troops have been deployed to at least 13 gas stations across Russia and occupied Crimea to manage civil unrest and violence over fuel access, according to the Institute for the Study of War. The deployment suggests the Kremlin does not trust regular police to handle the scale of disorder.
Approval Ratings in Decline
Political analysts view Putin’s two-week approval slide as a warning signal. 112.ua reports that conditions inside Russia are deteriorating driven by economic fallout, with monthly military casualties reaching 30,000 and a budget deficit of $73 billion.
Putin characterized Russia’s GDP growth of approximately one percent as “modest” but positive, while acknowledging that “external pressure” and what the Kremlin calls “terrorist attacks” are affecting economic performance.
Despite these pressures, three sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters that Putin is rejecting calls to negotiate peace with Kyiv. Ukraine’s recent drone strikes on oil refineries and ports have strengthened Kyiv’s hand, but Putin appears unwilling to make the concessions that would be necessary for a ceasefire.
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