Putin believes his invasion of Ukraine is his 'historic mission' - FT

Putin has decided that as long as he maintains an advantage on the battlefield, he does not need to make any concessions. Moreover, he is reportedly even ready to turn a blind eye to the fact that Russia’s economy is choking.

One European official told the FT that Putin is not interested in money, as the war in Ukraine has an ideological meaning for him.

This is his legacy, a senior European official said, he wants to go down in history as the greatest Russian ruler since Peter the Great. He thought he could give Trump a victory but decided not to.

According to two people familiar with the matter, Putin’s military and intelligence services regularly provide him with information praising Russia’s tactical successes, claiming that Ukraine is suffering greater losses, and emphasizing Russia’s advantage in resources.

All of this is an ideological matter for him, a senior Western intelligence officer said, adding that he still believes he can win,

Putin reportedly is demanding full control over the Donetsk region from Ukraine in exchange for the withdrawal of Russian troops from the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions.

Russia has repeatedly demanded the complete withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly emphasized that such a scenario is impossible.