In 2014, Putin unleashed a war in eastern Ukraine, launching a full-scale invasion in 2022. However, he had started a cold war against Russians even earlier. Both wars look hopeless. Putin will not win the war against Ukraine, even though he has sacrificed the economic and personal well-being of millions of Russians on its altar: the West will not allow it, and Russia has and will have no influential allies. As for the cold war he unleashed against Russian citizens, its consequences will be felt by the society for years: low interpersonal trust, low legitimacy of the political system and, as an outcome, low likelihood of a peaceful resolution of internal conflicts.
