Opinion | Putin has doomed Russia with a war that can’t be won

There are many ways to lose a war, but few fail as soon as they start. While Russian troops attempt to take Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has galvanised near global opposition to his aims of rebuilding an empire and cementing his place in the pantheon of great Russian leaders.

No matter what the short-term outcome, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s resolve is stronger than ever. The very countries Putin sought to bring under Moscow’s influence have even more incentive to join the collective defence of Western nations instead. The rouble is in free fall, the country is largely cut off from the international financial system, and the economy is teetering on collapse. The war is only one week old.

The siren call of the “near-abroad” – of keeping Nato forces far from Russia’s doorstep and the flat approach along the Steppe to Moscow – has become impossible for Putin to ignore.

In a spasm of violence, missiles and bombs fall with no regard for civilian casualties. Banned weapons including cluster bombs and thermobaric or vacuum bombs are allegedly being used in urban areas.