Russians are simultaneously more and less stupid than they seem to be at the same time. They are really run by the intelligence services, and they often "test narratives" to see how messaging goes over with the populations. They use deliberate 'repeaters', messengers and role players within their sociey to gague themes to try and advance their goals. You see public figures following their scripts consistently, from froth-mouthed apocalyptic lunatics like Solovyev and Medvedev threatening to end the world, down to malcontent grunt Z-Bloggers like Girkin muttering tactical level failures, acting as a release valve for the failings of the state 'not going far enough'. The ones who are allowed to speak on an ongoing basis are sanctioned to do so, for reasons that make sense to the FSB.

Until recently, any public talk of even ACKNOWLEDGING, much less ending the SMO/ aka "War" would get you locked up for discrediting the army. Now, they are starting to seep out war-ending off-ramp strategies. This is the first time I've seen one around the idea that the war should be stopped "for the good of the economy". That sounds more high minded than verboten military or moral alternatives like "we're losing" or "it's the humane thing to do". At any rate, it's at least tolerated public dialogue that explicitly talks of ending the war. None of these narrative tests are accidental - some are outbursts, where the messager is locked up or killed - but this is different in that it's from a named public figure.

Having them say "it's for the good of the economy" allows them to at least try to avoid the humiliation of a completely stalled front that they have been unable to move substantially for nearly two years. It ignores their invasion's absolute failure, doesn't acknowledge that maybe little brother ukraine isn't an inherently inferior race, or that the entire country ackshually belongs to Rusia, because - reasons - and doesn't have a right to exist. It doesn't even mention NATO as the REAL reason why they aren't vacationing in Kyiv today.

It's all a colossal tragedy, of course. But putting that aside - it's both funny and somewhat pathetic that this is where they're at more than four years in having squandered their entire soviet inhertiance on a petty 20th century revenge project led by an overpromoted gangster ghoul. But - it's also a good thing that they're openly talking about how to exit an aggressive war of invasion while being WELL short of their goals of conquest.

Will be interesting to see if this "for the economy" theme persists as a face-saving tactic. What do you think?