Putin makes surprise visit to occupied Ukraine

On Saturday, March 18, 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin made a surprise visit to Crimea. Following this, Putin travelled to Mariupol, a major port city on the Azov Sea.

Putin’s visit to Crimea was a symbolic one. He travelled to Crimea to informally mark the ninth anniversary of Crimea’s illegal annexation of the strategic peninsula. Russia’s original seizure of Crimea was in 2014, and was seen at the time as a major Russian victory, and a strategic masterstroke by Putin. It can be also said that the 2014 Ukraine Crisis was the prelude to the current war; with all the warning in the world, nothing substantial was done to prepare.

And in the spirit of more triumphant times, it would seem that Putin’s visit is also meant to improve Russia’s resolve in its struggle to annex the whole of Ukraine. Russia has been conducting its “special operation” in Ukraine for slightly over a year; a year that did not meet Russia’s expectations.

Ukrainian forces, much due to the support and supply from the United States and Europe, successfully held off Russia’s invasion into Ukraine’s core. Some areas however, most notably the eastern oblasts that were seized in 2014, remain firmly in Russia’s hands.

Putin’s visit is the reaffirmation of that reality. For nine years Russia has occupied Ukrainian soil. Putin’s presence there, amidst a past year of struggle, is a sign of Russia’s intent to remain. One could even speculate that it is Putin’s way of showing that Russia is in the war for the long-haul, not just eastern oblasts.

Russia has a long history of conflicts beginning poorly, only for Russia to triumph in the end after extolling create cost in resources and lives. The war in Ukraine appears to be trending in the same direction, despite sensationalist media in the West perpetually insisting Russia is on her last legs.

Is Putin’s visit a ploy to improve public opinion through nationalism? Is Russia going to draw out the war in Ukraine? Is the war going to “thaw,” and see a major escalation?

Let me know what you think in the comments.

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