A ” catastrophic mistake that will set Russia back years ”. This is how the Kremlin elite, the circle closest to Russian President Vladimir Putin, considers the war unleashed on February 24 in Ukraine. Bloomberg writes it citing a dozen of its own sources on condition of anonymity, according to which there is no possibility that Putin will change the decision taken. Indeed, according to some sources, the Russian president could also resort to nuclear weapons, as American intelligence fears. In any case, awareness is growing that continuing the war will cause years of isolation for Russia and economic stagnation, while its security would be compromised, as well as its influence globally. Inside the Kremlin there were also surprised by the speed of the response of the United States and the international community to the Russian military aggression of Ukraine, as well as the decision to impose sanctions that have frozen half of the 640 billion dollars of reserves. of the Central Bank. Added to this are the large companies that, after decades of investment, have decided overnight to stop their activities in Russia. Bloomberg also writes that senior Russian officials have tried to explain to Putin that the economic impact of the sanctions it will be devastating, erasing the two decades of growth and higher living standards that were guaranteed with his rise to government. The sources therefore say that according to Putin the West had left him no alternative but to go to war and that the Russian economy will adapt. The Russian president says he is confident that the people are with him and that he is ready to endure years of sacrifices, the sources continue.