Vladimir Putins wobbly empire gives US a path to stifle Russias threats

This week marked 25 years of Vladimir Putin’s rule, a milestone the Russian dictator celebrated in a televised address.Boasting of past achievements, he assured Russians, “We can be rightfully proud of what has already been done,” and confidently added, “We are sure that everything will be all right.”Reality reveals a darker forecast: Putin is now weaker than at any point in his tenure.Over the next year, the incoming Trump administration should capitalize on this vulnerability to its fullest extent.Putin’s rule is ultimately based on a devil’s bargain with the Russian people.In exchange for their freedom, he vowed to end the upheaval and lawlessness that plagued Russia following the Soviet Union’s collapse.After Russians accepted his terms and voted him into office in 2000, Putin steadily altered the deal with them.Today’s Russia is a far cry from the stable and prosperous nation that he once promised to create.Instead, it is an isolated country embroiled in war and plagued by systemic decay.Demographers warn that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has accelerated its long-term population decline.Economists highlight how the country’s dependence on oil — a classic “resource curse” — and its wartime economy have locked it into a trajectory of prolonged stagnation.These structural trends show no signs of change over the coming year.Meanwhile, the Russian National Wealth Fund teeters on the brink of insolvency.Putin has squandered his country’s resources on an imperial façade of high-tech power and affluence, funding hypersonic missiles, nuclear-capable submarines and a $2 billion St.

Petersburg skyscraper for Gazprom, the Kremlin’s natural gas monopoly.Yet the average monthly wage in Russia remains a mere $787, with citizens spending an alarming 30% of their income on food.(By comparison, Americans spend around 11%.)Russia’s international alliances fare no better.Rather than building a coalition of strong allies, Russia has gathered a ...