Following Moscow’s Victory Day Parade on Saturday, Vladimir Putin commented to reporters concerning the war in Ukraine:

“I think that the matter is coming to an end.” [Al Jazeera Staff, AFP and Reuters, May 10, 2026.]

And I joined the world’s leaders, the media, and every other Russia-watcher in speculating what he meant by that. Was he actually ready to compromise; was it just another stall; or did he have something new up his sleeve?

Based on other indicators, I said that I thought it would most likely turn out to be option #2 or #3 — but not capitulation. And then, as though someone had heard me, I saw this headline:

“Putin says Russia test launches ‘most powerful missile in the world.’” [CBS/AP, May 12, 2026.]

The report went on to say that on Tuesday Russia had test-fired a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which was being touted by Putin just days after his enigmatic statement about ending the conflict. In his announcement, Putin said that the nuclear-armed missile, known as Sarmat, would be ready to enter combat service at the end of this year, replacing the older Soviet-era Voyevoda. Claiming that the combined power of the Sarmat’s individually-targeted warheads is more than four times higher than that of any Western counterpart, Putin boasted:

“This is the most powerful missile in the world.” [Id.]

He also said that the Sarmat, along with other new weapons, would render any prospective U.S. missile defenses useless. It is said to be capable of suborbital flight, giving it a range of more than 21,700 miles and the ability to penetrate any such missile defenses. [Id.]

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And there it is: first the hint at something coming, and then the unveiling of his newest nuclear threat. Could this be what he meant? Did he expect Ukraine to surrender, cowering in fear?

But conversely, there were other reports of his having told his own inner circle:

“We cannot continue. This is leading us to catastrophe.” [World News Europe, May 11, 2026.]

And there has been talk of discussions about withdrawing troops from Ukraine, and seeking diplomatic channels for the start of negotiations.

But where is the confirmation of any of this? How do we ever know which conflicting statements coming from Moscow are true . . . or, for that matter, if any of them are?

At the end of the day, the mystery continues, as it has for centuries. As Winston Churchill famously said way back in 1939: Russia is “a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”

I doubt that Churchill would be surprised to see that it hasn’t changed a bit in the last 87 years.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
5/14/26