Putin's bid to restore Soviet-era global reach visibly collapses
Updated
Updated · Engelsberg Ideas · May 8
Putin's bid to restore Soviet-era global reach visibly collapses
8 articles · Updated · Engelsberg Ideas · May 8
Russia last month withdrew from Kidal in Mali, while access to its Syrian bases at Tartus and Khmeimim has been sharply reduced after Bashar al-Assad's fall.
Moscow has also failed to shield allies in Iran, Venezuela and Hungary, lost leverage in Central Asia to China, and seen Armenia drift further away after Nagorno-Karabakh.
The report argues the Ukraine war has become the main destroyer of Putin's great-power project, exposing Russia's lack of Soviet-style ideology despite retaining energy exports, nuclear arms and media outreach.
As Russia's superpower dream dies, how will its escalating shadow war change daily life in Europe?
If Putin's regime collapses from within, what happens to the world's largest nuclear arsenal?
Is Central Asia's pivot to China a path to prosperity or a new form of dependency?
Russia’s Global Retreat: How the Ukraine War (2022–2026) Triggered Economic Exhaustion, Imperial Decline, and Shifting World Power
Overview
The ongoing Ukraine War since 2022 has dramatically reshaped the geopolitical landscape, driving the collapse of Russia’s global ambitions. The conflict has forced Russia to transform its entire economy for war, leading to immense military, economic, and geopolitical costs. By early 2026, Russia’s budget was sharply deteriorating, highlighting the unsustainable burden of the war. These pressures have fundamentally altered Eastern European security and limited Moscow’s strategic objectives. As a result, Russia faces growing internal strain and a visible retreat from its traditional spheres of influence, signaling a significant shift in global power dynamics.