With the background of Russia's invasion and ongoing war against Ukraine, recently this astounding headline from the BBC:

“Putin says he thinks Ukraine conflict coming to an end.”

Now for perspective: Just consider last weekend's annual Victory Day parade in Moscow. It commemorates the end of World War II

What's notable this year is not what happened, but what didn't happen.

Russia couldn't afford to hold the parade as usual because Ukraine, as it turns out, has been so ingenious and so aggressive with its use of drones that Putin couldn't afford to hold that kind of military parade in Moscow. It would've been one giant magnet for a massive undertaking and attack by Ukraine.

This is a game changer.

Russia has now lost 350,000 men.

If you're a strong man, an autocrat in this kind of system, you have to appear strong and invincible.

You can't be a political strongman and a leader that gets into this kind of quagmire.

Putin is running out of time. Russians know it and Vladimir Putin knows it.