An article published in The Telegraph presents an analytical view suggesting that the myth of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s power is beginning to crumble, and that the end of his regime may be closer than many expect. The article argues that U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent shift in stance toward Moscow could accelerate the end of the war in Ukraine and potentially lead to the collapse of the Russian system itself.
According to the article’s author, Mark Brolin, an expert in geopolitical strategy, Trump—who is achieving progress in the Middle East and Eastern Europe—has realized that Russia is no longer the terrifying threat Western elites once imagined, but rather a weakened power deteriorating from within. He considers the latest U.S. policy shift a major turning point: Washington no longer views Moscow as an untouchable adversary whose provocation might trigger World War III, but as a vulnerable state that can be defeated through political will and sufficient economic pressure.
The article divides this shift into two main aspects:
First, Trump is urging Europe to take responsibility for its own security instead of relying on the United States—a position once mocked during his first term, yet now proven valid.
Second, he rejects the old notion that Russia has the right to dominate its neighbors under the pretext of maintaining global balance. The war in Ukraine, rather than halting Russia’s decline, has accelerated it, diminishing its influence in Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
The author points out that the turning point came when Trump declared his clear support for Ukraine’s complete restoration of its territories, breaking entirely with the hesitant Western stance that promoted “mutual concessions.” Furthermore, U.S. support has shifted from a war of attrition to targeting Russia’s centers of power, such as energy infrastructure and supply hubs. Discussions about supplying Kyiv with long-range Tomahawk missiles capable of striking deep inside Russia—including Moscow—illustrate that Washington no longer fears the Kremlin’s so-called “red lines.”
The article asserts that Russia’s threats of escalation no longer intimidate anyone, as Moscow has been forced to redirect its oil exports and faces refinery disruptions and declining logistical capacity—making Russia itself, rather than Ukraine, the one at risk of escalation.
The author also criticizes Europe for its continued political and moral weakness, noting that countries like Hungary, Slovakia, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands still buy Russian energy, keeping the Kremlin’s coffers full despite their anti-Moscow rhetoric. He calls on Europe to regain its backbone by ending this duplicity, rebuilding a new industrial and military base, and supporting Ukraine clearly and decisively.
In conclusion, Brolin argues that regimes built on fear can collapse suddenly once their fragility is exposed. Russia today, he writes, suffers from a faltering economy, an exhausted army, and low morale, while Putin has lost his aura as a strategic leader, becoming seen instead as a tyrant who dragged his country into disaster. The author concludes that Trump’s actions could achieve what sanctions alone could not, and that if he succeeds in reshaping the realities in Gaza and Eastern Europe simultaneously, the world might find itself compelled to award him the Nobel Peace Prize for ending the stalemates in both regions.
