Why Putin's Russia is holding out

"But Russia has absorbed all the shocks caused by the war, including those that had not been anticipated. Above all, Russian leaders now believe that time is on their side in the confrontation with Ukraine and the West. The country has prepared for battle, taking up its favorite position of the besieged citadel."

Why Putin's Russia is holding out (lemonde.fr)

All is proceeding as I have foreseen. At the outset of the Ukraine War, I noted the West's ephemeral attention span and Russia's historical capacity to suffer as favoring a positive outcome for Russia in its Ukraine foray. The WWII siege of Leningrad by the Nazis is a central metaphor for Russian resilience... not to mention the lessons learned by Napoleon. It's not over. I don't hope for a Putin victory. But Western leadership will need to show more resolve than heretofore to turn the tide against Putin.