Vladimir Putin is preparing for a long war of attrition against Ukraine and will constantly try to use economic methods, such as blocking Ukrainian grain exports, to deprive Kyiv of Western support..

Representatives of the " The Kremlin has taken some signs of uncertainty from some European governments as evidence that the West may stop fighting the Russian invasion of Ukraine, especially if global energy prices rise in the wake of the sanctions imposed on Moscow, the sources said..

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He added that the Russian autocrat did not expect such a powerful and consolidated reaction from the West.. But “now he is trying to make a difference and believes he will win in the long run,” the billionaire said.. Moscow sees election cycles in the West as a vulnerability. Therefore, Putin believes that public opinion can change overnight..

The publication reminds that the European Union has introduced a limited embargo on Russian oil, prohibiting supplies through sea routes.. And EU Council President Charles Michel praised the decision as a way to put maximum pressure on Russia to stop the war.. But, according to an unnamed Russian diplomatic official in Moscow, the embargo "

“There is such a mood in the Kremlin that we cannot lose, whatever the cost,” he said..

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Moscow said the EU decision only provoked an even greater increase in global energy prices. In addition, Russian oil can be sold on the markets in Asia, despite the ban on insurance of tankers with Russian oil, which Europe also introduced.. In an interview with The Washington Post, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that " The publication writes that such a position speaks of the Kremlin's confidence that it can withstand the pressure of economic sanctions and defeat the West..

Former EBRD chief economist Sergei Guriev said Putin has no choice but to continue the war, hoping that the blockade of Ukrainian grain " The publication writes that the Russian army began to slowly conquer new territories in the Donbass, without entering into big decisive battles.. And that could point to Putin's belief that time is on his side, said the unnamed Russian billionaire..

“Putin is very patient. He can afford to wait 6 to 9 months. He can control Russian society much more tightly than Western countries control theirs,” he said..

EU spent many weeks arguing before approving oil embargo. And the Kremlin regarded this as a sign that Western resolve has wavered, Russian economists and officials explained to the publication.. Numerous phone calls by Chancellor Olaf Scholz and President Emmanuel Macron, during which they tried to persuade Putin to open Ukrainian ports, only strengthened this conviction.. When Western leaders phone Putin looking for a deal, "

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Former deputy chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation Sergey Aleksashenko believes that a limited EU embargo on Russian oil will lead to relatively small losses for Moscow. If Russia can send the entire volume to India and China, Russian losses will not exceed $10 billion.

“Putin’s economic advisers will tell him what the expected losses from the embargo will be, and he will laugh quietly. This will not change its course,” Aleksashenko said..

Columbia University international relations professor and former State Department official Edward Fishman says the EU decision should be seen " Several current and former Western officials discussed the idea of \u200b\u200bthe US and EU forming a cartel and setting a maximum price for Russian oil at $30 or $40 per barrel.. This move could have been more effective than the embargo that the EU has now imposed.. Global prices would collapse, Guriev and Fishman say. The US could impose sanctions against anyone who buys Russian oil at a higher price than was set. Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi first floated the idea of \u200b\u200ba Western oil consumer cartel during a meeting with President Joe Biden..

As the risks rise for all sides, it " Everyone is waiting for autumn,” an unnamed Russian official told the publication, explaining that the impact of the sanctions would then be the biggest.. Now, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Kyiv needs $7 billion in aid a month to keep the country active.. Putin apparently counts on the West to 'blink first', says former US official. He noted that Putin's goal "