The face of Putin's war

 From UNIAN:

"The ruins of Pokrovsk revealed the true face of Putin's war - WSJ 

Marta Gichko, 12.11.25 

By the time Russian troops outnumbered Ukrainian defenders in Pokrovsk, the city was already in ruins, and bodies littered the streets. This brutal battle demonstrates the Kremlin's true goal: not simply to seize Donbas, but to restore Russia's influence in Ukraine and restore Moscow's status as a great power, writes The Wall Street Journal. 

Despite the efforts of US President Donald Trump, who called on both sides to "stop the killing" and attempted to seek a territorial compromise, the White House peace initiative is stalling. As analysts note, Putin isn't bargaining over territory, but fighting over history, symbols, and the "restoration of the Russian Empire." 

"Trump is trying to solve the problem, but Putin is consulting Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible, and Catherine the Great on his vision," William Courtney, a senior fellow at Rand and former US ambassador, wryly observed. "He thinks in imperial terms." 

Even before the full-scale invasion, Putin published an essay in which he claimed that Ukrainians and Russians were "one people" and that Ukraine itself was "Lenin's creation." On the eve of the invasion, he reiterated this in an address: 

"For us, Ukraine is not just a neighboring country; it is an integral part of our own history." 

For the Russian leader, who experienced the collapse of the USSR as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century," the war is an attempt to rewrite history and restore Russia to its role as a power equal to America. 

"Putin is waging this war to reverse the results of the Cold War and restore Russia's status as a great power," explained military analyst Ruslan Pukhov.

Following the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska, Russian media portrayed the summit as a symbol of equality between the two superpowers. For the Kremlin, experts say, true success lies not in peace, but in recognition of Russia as a force dictating terms to others..."