Putin Had Four Plans to Defeat Ukraine. He Only Has Two Left.

According to coverage from the Wall Street Journal and multiple international outlets, Russian President Vladimir Putin's pathway to victory in Ukraine has contracted significantly since the war's outset. The Journal's analysis, published November 13, 2026, identifies that Putin originally pursued four distinct plans to defeat Ukraine but now retains only two viable scenarios. Coverage from Censor.NET summarizes these remaining strategies as continued strikes on Ukraine's energy infrastructure and sustained political pressure on European nations, particularly through the cycle of European elections that Russia hopes will erode continental support for Kyiv. Euromaidan Press cites a Kyiv analyst who states Russia is betting on another year of European elections to outlast support for Ukraine, while The Baltic Times frames the approach as a "divide et impera" strategy aimed at fracturing European unity.

The coverage emphasizes strategic analysis over battlefield reporting, with outlets including the Wall Street Journal, American Enterprise Institute, The Globe and Mail, National Review, TVP World, Newsweek, Kyiv Post, LIGA.net, and The Daily Beast all publishing commentary on November 13-15, 2026. The AEI piece argues Russian victory is not inevitable, while The Globe and Mail publishes an opinion stating Putin needs to understand the war is untenable. Newsweek characterizes Putin's peace plan as a "prewar ultimatum, with interest," and The Daily Beast reports on alleged secret frustration with Donald Trump. TVP World cites a former US ambassador warning that Trump "walked into Putin's trap," while National Review urges Congress to block Trump from business deals with Putin.

The context for this strategic reassessment includes the war's continuation into its third full year, with Russia's initial objectives of rapid regime change in Kyiv having failed. The shift toward energy infrastructure targeting and political warfare reflects adaptation to Ukrainian resilience and sustained Western military aid. Coverage from Mezha.net notes a missile strike hitting a military factory in the Russian city of Kirov on November 13, indicating the conflict's extension onto Russian territory. LIGA.net frames Ukraine's position within a "Great Game" of geopolitical competition, questioning why Europe cannot reach agreement on a unified approach. The convergence of analysis across think tanks, newspapers, and policy journals suggests a broad reassessment of Russia's strategic trajectory among Western observers.

What to watch next based on stated coverage includes the trajectory of European electoral politics and whether upcoming votes produce governments less supportive of Ukraine aid, the effectiveness of Russian energy infrastructure strikes as winter approaches, any shifts in US policy toward the conflict particularly regarding figures mentioned in the coverage, and whether the missile strike on Kirov represents an escalation pattern. The coverage does not specify which European elections are imminent, the current state of Ukraine's energy grid, or the exact nature of the alleged Trump-Putin dynamics beyond the published commentary.