Almost from the very beginning of the ‘special military operation’, observers mentioned the possibility of a split among the Russian elites into supporters of a more aggressive military engagement and proponents of a more peaceful resolution of the conflict. According to these observers, such an elite split could at the very least have helped put an end to the hostilities and could have eventually brought down the Russian regime. However, nothing of the sort has happened. Moreover, despite the recent deterioration of the situation on the frontline and the withdrawal of Russian troops from eastern and southern Ukraine, there is no reason to expect a split among the Russian elites in the foreseeable future.
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