The Long War: Putin’s Rhetoric Signals Preparation for a Generational Conflict

Vladimir Putin’s recent rhetoric, including his threat to target Western troops, signals that the Kremlin is preparing not for a swift resolution, but for a long, generational conflict with the West. The focus is shifting from the immediate battlefield to the long-term geopolitical struggle.
By threatening a force that would only be deployed “postwar,” Putin is indicating that he sees the current fighting as just one phase of a much larger contest. He is already laying down the markers for the next phase, ensuring that even a formal end to hostilities would not mean an end to the confrontation.
This long-war mindset explains the uncompromising nature of his statements. If the goal is not just to win a battle in the Donbas but to fundamentally re-order European security and break the Western-led international system, then there is little room for compromise or de-escalation.
This has profound implications for the West. It suggests that policies based on short-term crisis management will be insufficient. The challenge posed by Russia is not a temporary problem to be solved, but a long-term condition to be managed, requiring sustained unity, military investment, and strategic patience for decades to come.