Comments about when the Russia-Ukraine crisis will end are not made much anymore. Now there is a world that is trying to get used to living in these conditions. Russia, which does not specifically use the term war, continues its efforts to portray Ukraine as a natural extension of its territory and the administration there as separatists.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously said that "regime change is the field of expertise of the United States", but yesterday, news emerged that he said "Russia's goal is regime change in Ukraine." When the war started, there was an expectation that Ukraine would fall in a few days, but Russia is turning the ball because it could not reach the goals it set. Now he will probably present the spread over time as a strategy and will make calculations of turning his failure into a positive over time. In a statement, Lavrov, in a way, accepted this change by explaining, “…Now, not only the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, but also Kherson, Zaporizhia and many other regions, the process continues within the framework of this geography, and in a consistent and stable manner”.
On the other hand, Russia specifically uses the expressions that NATO continues to provide arms aid to Ukraine and that it is "playing with fire" and wants to keep this as the legitimacy ground for its intervention. By the way, it is true that NATO member countries are providing weapons aid. Even British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who resigned from his post but will continue to serve until the new leader of his party is elected, even practiced hand grenade shooting(!) in the area where Ukrainian soldiers were trained, wearing military camouflage. Russia is probably questioning within itself, "What mistake did we make that we became the lifeblood of NATO, whose existence and non-existence even in the eyes of its members does not make any difference?"
At this point, the apparent truth is that Russia, which thinks that people are doomed to it with its power in grain production and natural gas reserves, may be making a mistake of calculation. However, I am not going to put the Western world to the test of sincerity in terms of its attitudes in Ukraine or any other hotspot. For them, everything can only be explained with the aim of preserving the living standards and interests they have deified, if there is none. However, as of the current situation, Russia entered a tunnel and even though it exited this tunnel, "nothing may be the same as before" for Russia. Presenting the developments with more understandable and empathetic evaluations before the start of the war, Putin currently prefers to explain the situation with unexpected emotional explanations.
If, as in the proverb, "The bad neighbor makes the man a landlord," the compelling conditions push people to seek different solutions within and outside of Russia's power fields, then the bells are ringing for Russia. For example, Egypt, which has very close relations with the Western world, is one of the most important buyers of Russian wheat.
If shipping problems continue, he will have to look for other options. This will mean a loss of power for Russia not only economically but also politically. This concern is another reason why Istanbul approved the opening of the grain corridor and even the sale of its enemy, Ukraine. In addition, the Financial Times wrote that China stopped investing in Russia as part of the Belt and Road project in order not to face sanctions. Aren't all these proofs that even if he gets what he wants from the war, nothing will be the same as before?
As a result, the world has come a long way in adapting to the current situation. If Russia is smart, it can approach the peace table by guaranteeing that Ukraine will not become a NATO member. This is no longer a sustainable situation for Russia. Because Ukraine can be a new Vietnam with different dimensions for Russia or Afghanistan that brought the end of the Soviets. For now, he has arguments to support the perception that the war ended with a win for Russia. Tomorrow it may not be. Now is the time for peace. Putin should simply look back and choose, like a victorious commander, to return home by crossing the "golden bridge" that the conditions for his return have now built for him.