Putin told to declare full war on Ukraine as Kremlin hardliners despair

Putin told to declare full war on Ukraine as Kremlin hardliners despair

| Published June 18, 2025

🔥 Kremlin Hawks Demand Full-Scale War

• After Ukraine’s “Operation Spider’s Web”—a bold drone strike on Russian strategic assets, including ~20 nuclear bombers—hardline figures in the Kremlin intensified calls for Putin to officially declare war on Ukraine

• These ultranationalists argue that formal war would legally enable mass mobilization (potentially drafting 1 million+ reservists), expanded weaponization, and even daily missile or tactical nuclear strikes against Kyiv

✅ Putin’s Calculated Restraint

• Despite the pressure, insiders say Putin and his inner circle are weighing the domestic and economic consequences of full escalation.

  • Russia’s defence budget is already at its highest since the Cold War (6.3 % of GDP), but still far below the levels needed for war-time mobilization.

  • Experts warn that a draft could trigger public unrest, economic collapse, and undermine the Kremlin’s tight narrative control.

• So far, Putin’s response to Ukraine’s strike has been measured, with “no pivot” to a wider conflict — seen by some as a sign that “leadership is satisfied with the current situation” .

🧭 The Hawks: “Angry Patriots” and Z‑Patriots

• Russia’s hardliners—aka “Angry Patriots” or “Z‑patriots”—are a vocal faction within the military-security establishment, demanding more aggressive action.

• Though they enjoy significant grassroots influence, unlike independent challengers they must still align with the Kremlin or risk crackdowns, as seen with Girkin and Prigozhin.

• These hawks are closely monitored; any overt shift toward peace might prompt them to be silenced or sidelined.

🎯 Strategic Trade-Offs Facing Putin

Implications

1. Mass Mobilization Possible

• Declaring war would legally allow compulsory military drafts, mobilizing over a million reservists.

• This could significantly expand Russia’s manpower, but at the risk of public backlash or domestic unrest.

2. Escalation Toward Tactical or Nuclear Use

• Hardliners are calling for daily missile strikes or even tactical nuclear options—declarations of war could remove legal and narrative restraints on such actions.

3. Shift in Global Risk Calculus

• A full war declaration could push NATO and the West to reconsider their red lines.

• It might also accelerate military aid to Ukraine and provoke tougher international sanctions.

4. Strain on Russia’s Economy and Society

• Mobilization would deeply impact the labor force, economy, and domestic stability—especially if conscription targets cities.

• Declaring war may also trigger internal dissent, especially in urban or educated populations.

5. Reinforces or Fractures Kremlin Control

• If Putin bows to hardliners, it signals that the “Z-patriots” and ultranationalists are influencing state policy.

• If he resists, Kremlin might crack down on dissenters—or risk internal factional rifts.

6. Danger of Regional Spillover

• A formal war risks regional escalation—possibly dragging in Belarus, affecting Moldova, or increasing tensions in the Black Sea and Baltic regions.

 Overall Takeaway:

Vladimir Putin is under intense pressure from Russia’s ultranationalist hardliners to formally declare war on Ukraine following Ukraine’s bold drone strike campaign. However, he is deliberately resisting that escalation—opting to continue the conflict as a “special military operation” to avoid the economic, political, and social fallout a full war declaration could trigger. This shows a strategic balancing act: appeasing hawks without triggering a national crisis, all while keeping tight control over Russia’s internal stability and global image.

SOURCES: Putin told to declare full war on Ukraine as Kremlin hardliners despair