Europe has started viewing Putin as a 'dead man walking'

Rumours that Putin’s reign may soon come to an end could prove to be true sooner rather than later if sense prevails in Russia

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Russian President Vladimir Putin meets Russian delegation and some officials ahead of the Istanbul talks. (Photo: Kremlin Press Office/ Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

It will take the masterful trickery and the IQ of a genius for Russian President Vladimir Putin to chicane his way out of his current predicament.

Having insisted on peace talks with Ukraine, his Kyiv opponent Volodymyr Zelensky called his bluff, insisting they should meet for today’s (Thu) talks in Istanbul.

As I write this, there is an empty chair at the Istanbul peace talks - hosted by Turkey - because Putin is frankly too scared to leave Moscow.

The master strategist has been humiliated, out-bluffed and played by Zelensky, whose challenge is deeply damaging to Putin.

You have to wonder what cards Putin still has, with his army vastly depleted, his economy ailing, and dissatisfaction running rife throughout Russia’s 11 time zones.

Close to a million of his troops have been killed or wounded in brutal fighting in Ukraine and the list of losses to his warfighting machine defies belief.