3 ms·
> (...) or ways to de-escalate the conflict by giving Putin some sort of face-saving measure (...) One thing I never understood is what "face-saving" means in
by moring 5y ago
> (...) or ways to de-escalate the conflict by giving Putin some sort of face-saving measure (...)
One thing I never understood is what "face-saving" means in this context. Could somebody try to explain that?
Edit: to explain the question -- to me as a political and military layman in central Europe, it seems that the most face-saving move is to return to Russia and stop the war. Anything else would be worse. So either the key point is that I'm not the audience of such a move (who then? My guess is Russian politicians, military, or civilians), or I'm seriously getting wrong how one's moves are interpreted on the geopolitical stage.
- zardo 5y agoI'm not sure if 'face' is actually something that motivates Putin. But it essentially means an option he can spin as a win, or at least not a loss.
- moring 5y agoTowards who, and for what purpose, that's what I don't get -- except if the audience is the Russian population. Anybody in the western world has seen enough (or has been presented enough by the western media, if you're cynic) to make any attempt to interpret the outcome as "winning" futile.
- medvezhenok 5y agoSpecifically to the people who could overthrow him (I.e the security apparatus in Russia) as well as secondarily to the Russian people (who the security apparatus opportunistically pays attention to). If he retreats without enough of a “win”, he is done - hence backed into a corner.
- EGreg 5y agoI don't think he cares about being overthrown. I think he cares about Russia not being broken up / being relegated to something like Yugoslavia was. And he can be pretty ruthless in pursuing it.