Putin’s War Escalates Without End in Sight | US News

US News Today | 2 Min News | The Daily News Now! · Aug 31, 2026 · 2m

Putin’s grip tightens as he doubles down on war, refusing to back down despite mounting losses and Ukraine’s drone strikes deep inside Russia. Comparing global conflict to the food chain, he warns Ukraine’s invasion opened a “Pandora’s box” with devastating economic blowback—and insists the “special military operation continues,” moving only forward. Behind closed doors, he reportedly told allies he’d be executed if he surrendered Donbas. Meanwhile, NATO braces for escalation: CIA chief Ratcliffe secretly met Putin, Finland seeks Swedish help at its Russian border, Germany holds Moscow…