As the dust begins to settle on the "theatrical production" of Xi Jingping's "lavish parade" of China's so-called "military might" for all the world to see, Narendra Modi (left) was conspicuous by his absence on the podium overlooking this "spectacle" of Xi Jingping.Rather, we learn from NDTV that,
"India and European Union on Thursday pledged to seal their much-awaited free trade deal by December with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the 27-nation bloc's top leaders Antonio Costa and Ursula von der Leyen pledging to promoting a rules-based global order, amid Washington's disruptive trade policies." (NDTV on MSN: 4 September 2025) (my emphasis)
Furthermore,
"In a joint phone call with Costa and von der Leyen, Modi reiterated India's consistent support for peaceful resolution of the Ukraine conflict and early restoration of peace and stability. The leaders underlined the role of the India-EU strategic partnership in jointly addressing global issues, fostering stability, and promoting a rules-based order for mutual prosperity, an Indian readout said." (ibid NDTV)
reports," Sberbank CEO German Gref (right), one of Russia's most powerful bankers, warned on Thursday that the [Russian] economy was stagnating and that unless the central bank slashed interest rates then the country would fall into recession." (Reuters: 4 September 2025) (my emphasis),
whilst at the same time Putin continues in his "manic" bombardment of Ukraine's cities, threatening that,
"President Vladimir Putin has rejected proposed Western security guarantees for Ukraine, warning that any foreign troops deployed in the neighbouring country would be a “legitimate target” for Russia’s military.
...
“We would recognise it as a threat to ourselves – the presence of international forces, or any foreign forces, or NATO forces on Ukrainian soil, near our border,” he told reporters." (Aljazeera: 5 September 2025) (my emphasis)
This "empty" threat of Putin comes against the backdrop of a nationwide fuel crisis in Russia resulting from Ukraine's successful strategy of destroying Putin's oil infrastructure.
As Gabriel Gavin, Veronika Melkozerova, Victor Jack and Seb Starcevic report,
"A creeping barrage of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian oil infrastructure has knocked out a major share of the country’s crude refining capacity in recent weeks, triggering domestic shortages and leaving the Kremlin’s most important strategic industry teetering on the brink." (Politico: 2 September 2025) (my emphasis)
However, it is not only fuel shortages that now bedevil the Russian people,
The Russian economy continues to implode, adversely affecting the Russian people and causing an instability which, in the words of German Gref, "... the country would fall into recession".
Yet, unlike Canute, " ... who set his throne by the sea shore and commanded the incoming tide to halt and not to wet his feet and robes .... to let men know how empty and worthless is the power of kings" (Wikipdia);
in his demented mind Putin really believes that he can stop the tide of Russian's economic downfall, and his losing war in Ukraine, which is about to come crashing down on his head.
And one of Putin's attempts at halting Russia's economic downfall is, in the words of Konstantin Samoilov (left),
"At midnight, September 1st 2025, Russia didn't sleep, it changed. A stack of new laws, rules, orders, regulations, fines, and technical amendments became the country's new operating system. Russian state no longer needs to prove you're dangerous. You must constantly prove you're harmless" (Inside Russia: 2 September 2025: YouTube)
And as Putin's world crumbles about him and he, rather feebly, tries to put on a brave face by standing alongside Xi Jinping during the "theatrical production" of China's military parade, his threat that, "any foreign troops deployed in the neighbouring country [i.e. Ukraine] would be a “legitimate target” for Russia’s military, rings even more hollow.
Putin is now fighting for his life.
UPDATE: 7 September 2025: GMT: 11:07
BBC News reports that,
"European leaders have rallied around Ukraine following Russia's strike on Kyiv's main government building.
"Solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people," writes French President Emmanuel Macron as he condemns Russia's drone and missile attacks on Ukraine overnight. Macron accuses Russia of "locking itself ever deeper into the logic of war and terror." (BBC News: 7 September 2025) (my emphasis)
"The message is clear - Kremlin wants war, not peace," Rinkēvičs says, adding that the response "must be more weapons to Ukraine, more pressure on Russia." (ibid BBC News)
As Anastasia Stognei and Courtney Weaver report,
"In China this week, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin was on a victory lap: returning to the embrace of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, establishing a “no limits” partnership with China’s leader Xi Jinping, and signing a long-awaited Moscow-Beijing gas pipeline deal.
Back home, however, Russia’s wartime economy is flashing warning signs." ....
While Putin insists the country is undergoing a “soft landing”, German Gref, chief executive of Sberbank, the country’s biggest state lender, has said the country is in “technical stagnation”. (Financial Times: 7 September 2025) (my emphasis)
In his accelerating frantic and demented state of mind, as the Russian economy hovers on the verge of total collapse, Putin's indiscriminate bombardment of civilian targets in Ukraine indicates just how panicked he must be as the long knives of members of his 'siloviki' are been sharpened.
Already there are growing rumblings amongst his staunchest supporters in Russia that he has sold-out Russia to China.
Putin is nearing a state of 'total' madness and will, now, do almost anything to stave off his imminent demise as pressure against him continues to build up in Russia.
