![[Frank Masuzoe]It’s too early to expect Russia’s ‘defeat’ in the Ukrainian war Putin’s defection plan and out-of-munitions rumors are circulating, but Russia’s ability to fight on should not be underestimated (1/5) | JBpress (JBpress)](https://jbpress.ismcdn.jp/mwimgs/4/4/1200mw/img_44843f3d2250df54d2a7cde59083558a1824724.jpg "[Frank Masuzoe]It’s too early to expect Russia’s ‘defeat’ in the Ukrainian war Putin’s defection plan and out-of-munitions rumors are circulating, but Russia’s ability to fight on should not be underestimated (1/5) | JBpress (JBpress)")
Rumors are circulating of Putin’s defection plan and running out of ammunition, but one shouldn’t underestimate Russia’s ability to keep fighting
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(Yoichi Masuzoe: scholar of international politics)
There are only two weeks until the new year and the war in Ukraine shows no sign of ending. On the contrary, the appearance of a proxy war with the United States has become increasingly apparent. There have also been reports that President Putin will defect to Venezuela if Russia is defeated.
However, the reports we are exposed to are primarily those of the United States and Ukraine, and just as Russia manipulates information, so does the West.
Therefore, I would like to come full circle, look back on the last eight months of the war and consider future developments.
Russia on the defensive
Russia’s plan to take Kiev, overthrow the Zelensky regime and set up a puppet government within days has gone awry. It shows that Russia’s intelligence capabilities are declining and can be said to be below the Soviet-era level with the KGB, which Putin chose to work for.
Moreover, during the 20 years of Putin’s administration, the KGB’s successor, the FSB, has only communicated information that satisfies the president.
The Zelensky administration of Ukraine was also taking a quiet approach, not anticipating an invasion, even though the Russian military had conducted repeated exercises in the border area since the second half of last year. The warning information should have come from NATO. This point is also Zelensky’s mistake.
The Russian invasion did not go as Putin expected due to Ukrainian resistance and military support from the United States and other NATO countries. NATO’s latest weapons, in particular, have surpassed Russia’s in terms of performance and have caused great damage to the Russian side.
