Vladimir Putin has ditched his £7,000 bespoke Italian suits for a military uniform in an try and present himself as a wartime leader and align with the success of Russian forces.
The Russian president is seen more often in hand-stitched Brioni jackets – as seen during a chat in Moscow last yr – somewhat than in combat gear.
Keir Giles, a number one analyst on European defence and Russia at Chatham House in London, said his costume change isn’t any accident but a ‘deliberate fashion selection’.
With the military claiming significant advances in Russia’s western region of Kursk, the president is desperate to associate himself with their success.
Keir told Metro: ‘Putin’s fashion selections are, after all, deliberate, and it’s a selection which might need been expected to realize broad excitement in Western media, and it absolutely has done so.
‘However the underlying message might be a really straightforward one – Putin probably thinks that the military is about to realize something of which it may be proud.
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‘Subsequently he desires to be related to it. It might be as easy and as straightforward as tagging on to the success of the military in ejecting the Ukrainian forces from Russian territory, if that, the truth is, is imminent…’
Earlier this morning, Russian forces retook control of Sudzha, a significant town in Russia’s western Kursk region, from Ukrainian troops, in line with the ministry of defence.
Troops had also recaptured two other villages, Melovoi and Podol, it has been claimed.
The recapture of Sudzha is a big gain for Russia because it battles to eject Ukrainian forces from their foothold in Kursk, which they’ve been clinging to since last August.
Putin, wearing his military uniform, visited his army in Kursk yesterday and ordered them to press ahead and retake the remainder of the Ukrainian-held territory.
Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) expert in Russian domestic politics, Emily Ferris, described the president’s clothing as a show of strength to the Russian folks that ‘the war will not be over until Russia says so’.
She told Metro: ‘It’s a move clearly designed to signal the military strength, as US negotiators arrive in Moscow today.
‘Putin rarely visits the frontline and may be very rarely in fatigues, unlike Zelensky who had adopted the uniform as an indication that Ukraine stays at war.
‘The audience is twofold – to the American negotiators, Putin’s selection and his words to the soldiers don’t suggest the Russian position on the war to be softening.
‘Actually, restoring Russia’s southern border and pushing further into Ukraine is a priority, as there may be a risk that any ceasefire agreement would cement the conflict along its current lines.’
Do Britons trust Russia to abide by a ceasefire?
Just 12% of British residents trust Russia to abide by a ceasefire in Ukraine, in line with a brand new YouGov poll.
Against this, the big majority (72%) say they do trust Ukraine to follow the terms of a ceasefire, with only 18% saying they don’t trust them.
Distrust for Russia is robust across all political parties (70-91%), while most voters trust Ukraine (58-84%), although Reform UK voters are notably more likely than others to have trust in Russia and distrust Ukraine.
This comes as Donald Trump warned that he could hurt Russia’s economy if it didn’t agree on a 30-day ceasefire proposed in talks in Saudi Arabia.
The US president said: ‘I can do things financially that will be very bad for Russia. I don’t want to try this because I would like to get peace.’
Keir stressed that is just when the military situation is ‘disadvantageous’ for Russia that it is smart for it to comply with a ceasefire.
He added: ‘There isn’t a reason for Russia to comply with a ceasefire. If Russia’s military commanders feel that the advantage goes their way, and so they need to press home and make use of whatever momentum they’ve achieved.’
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