Monday open thread: Vladimir Vladimirovich may not be riding to the rescue

This story came across the wires yesterday:

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that he saw nothing criminal in Hunter Biden’s past business ties with Ukraine or Russia, marking out his disagreement with one of Donald Trump’s attack lines in the U.S. presidential election.

Putin was responding to comments made by Trump during televised debates with Democratic challenger Joe Biden ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

Trump, who is trailing in opinion polls, has used the debates to make accusations that Biden and his son Hunter engaged in unethical practices in Ukraine. No evidence has been verified to support the allegations, and Joe Biden has called them false and discredited.

Putin, who has praised Trump in the past for saying he wanted better ties with Moscow, has said Russia will work with any U.S. leader, while noting what he called Joe Biden’s “sharp anti-Russian rhetoric”.

Yes, Mr. Putin gets a jab in at Joe Biden's supposed Russophobia. But Vladimir Vladimirovich seems to be throwing in the towel. This is a clear signal to Donald Trump not to expect some Kremlin deus ex machina to save him in eight days.

Putin gambled bigly when he backed Trump in 2016. And he hasn't gotten much out of it. Yes, Trump's imbecility has given Putin more room for maneuver. But the thing to remember is this: Russia isn't a major power. Sure, Putin has more freedom to move about. But he doesn't have the resources to exploit that freedom. The Russian Federation isn't a superpower. It's a failed state with nuclear weapons. Aside from brushfire wars like Syria or Eastern Ukraine, it really has no economy which can sustain power projection. And any war with NATO, even a limited one, would overtax and rend its infrastructure. Putin played at major power politics, and has been punching above his weight due to Trump's abnegation. But now that he sees that brief respite coming to an end, despite the best efforts of his necromancers, he is retreating to the position every minor power must face when baiting the bear: accommodation, and acquiescence. Joe Biden will restore American power, and Russia doesn't want to be on the receiving end of a stare-down it can't win.

Putin, like MAGAts, talks a big game. But the world he wants to recreate is dead and gone. He may not have been a great spy, but he knows which way the wind is blowing. And Trump will suffer for it. 

Eight more days. Let's do this.

This is your open thread.