Nobel Peace Prize winner Dmitry Muratov has said Vladimir Putin can no longer credibly claim victory in Ukraine as the war enters its fifth year.
In an interview, Muratov said the Kremlin leader was now in a position where he could “destroy Ukraine, not conquer it”. His remarks amount to a stark assessment of Russia’s position in the conflict and challenge any attempt by Putin to frame the war as a successful campaign.
Muratov’s comments focus on the distinction between military destruction and political or territorial conquest. While he acknowledged the capacity for continued devastation, he said that did not equate to Russia being able to take control of Ukraine.
The intervention is significant because it comes from a Nobel Peace Prize winner commenting directly on the central claim of the Kremlin’s war effort. The source material does not include a response from the Kremlin or from Ukrainian officials to Muratov’s remarks.
The war is now in its fifth year, and Muratov’s assessment suggests he believes the conflict has moved beyond a point at which Putin can present it as a victory. The latest known position from the supplied material is that Muratov believes Russia may still inflict destruction, but cannot conquer Ukraine.
