Zelenskyy’s big bet: Ukraine can outlast Russia – POLITICO

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is gambling that taking the fight deeper into Russia will put enough pressure on Vladimir Putin to force him to get serious about peace talks.

For much of the war, the Russian president has been able to shield ordinary Russians from the worst of the conflict. The Ukrainian leader is now trying to break that insulation — disrupting air travel and striking refineries, factories, warehouses and other targets deep inside Russia.

The logic is brutal but simple: Raise the economic and political cost of the war for Russians faster than Putin can raise the military and civilian costs for Ukrainians with his escalating air assaults.