 To what extent has Vladimir Putin been weakened by recent events? It's hard to tell, but he's clearly losing the war in Iraq. He's losing the war at home. And he has become a bit of a friar around the world. To what extent has Vladimir Putin been weakened by recent events? It's hard to tell, but he's clearly losing the war in Iraq. He's losing the war at home. And he has become a bit of a friar around the world.