The war that is eating Russia

People walking past a Russian Army recruitment poster in this file photo in Moscow. The war in Ukraine has killed or wounded as many as 1.2 million Russians. — Nanna Heitmann/The New York Times

FOR four years, Russian President Vladimir Putin has made the war against Ukraine the lodestar of his every move.

The single-minded approach has helped Putin salvage what began as a disastrous invasion, get his troops back on the front foot and dictate demands in peace talks mediated by Washington.