Putin remains confident of ‘ultimate victory’ in Ukraine: report

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1. Russian President Vladimir Putin “remains confident” he will secure an “ultimate victory” in Ukraine despite Moscow’s participation in ongoing peace negotiations, according to a newly released report from the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).

   Prepared for the U.S. House of Representatives, the assessment says Putin views the war as an “existential struggle against the West” and an effort to restore the prestige and global influence that he believes Russia lost when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.

   The report, based on intelligence available as of May 11, 2025, states that despite Moscow engaging in U.S.-brokered peace talks, “Putin almost certainly is committed to victory in Ukraine,” and that his strategic goals have remained “mostly unchanged” since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.

   This aligns with concerns in Kyiv that Russia may be using the peace process to buy time and seize more Ukrainian territory, aiming to impose its preferred terms in any future negotiated settlement.

   The report outlines Putin’s main demands as a permanent ban on Ukraine joining NATO and the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian military forces from the eastern regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson.

   It adds that Russia has also intensified its efforts to destabilize Europe, aiming “to undermine Western cohesion and support to Ukraine.”

   The DIA says that Putin is prepared to pursue “a strategy of attrition through at least the end of the year,” believing that Russia can outlast both Ukraine’s resources and Western resolve.

2. Possible but I find this hard to believe. And I don’t trust the American intelligence community any longer.

3. Brought to you by the same dictator who is “serious about peace talks” i can’t even

4. Imagine killing hundreds of thousands of your own people to “restore” your global image.

5. I mean Europe has all but consistently highlighted how terrified they are of getting involved directly and that is not lost on Russia and they will continue to use that to divide and weaken Europe’s efforts in supporting Ukraine. Not that I know for certain but I can’t imagine Europe will be reaping the rewards of their boost to their MIC before 2026.

   Then on the other hand you have Trump who is essentially dragging his feet (yeah he absolutely is aware Putin isn’t interested in peace) only because he wants economic relations with Russia. How else can you explain their total refusal to use the stick? Carrot after carrot after carrot, and they behave like they’re walking on egg shells. Terrified that anything too pro Ukraine or anti Russian would ruin any chance for a worthless deal with the Russians. You dangle some stupid number in the billions and include oil and gas after it and Trump is frothing at the mouth, especially cause this freak believes appeasing his enemies will turn them into allies against China.

   Why wouldn’t Russia believe they should continue fighting? Russia isn’t really at risk of losing its resources at such a pace that they have to stop fighting, they can easily go at least until 2026. The only country capable of handing over enough military resources realistically quickly enough for any strategic shift in the war to happen is not really interested in ending the war on Ukraines terms; and beyond that Trump has proven himself to be spineless every time he does threaten to use the stick as opposed to the carrot.

6. Of course he does. Putin has sent so many people to die he can’t put forward anything less than something that resembles winning. Get him to the table and negotiate something everyone can live with.

   That said, he won’t be motivated to peace unless pressured. Supply Ukraine with foreign fighters, mercenaries and gear to force an end to the war.

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