US intelligence believes Putin may change his objectives in war against Ukraine - CNN

According to sources, Putin may have shifted his focus towards consolidating control over the currently occupied territories and stimulating Russia's economy, which is in a difficult situation.

Earlier, according to US and Western intelligence, Putin believed that the situation on the front was in his favor, and that he had the momentum and enough human resources to conduct a prolonged war against Ukraine and capture the entire country.

The idea that Putin might have changed his perspective has played into the belief of US President Donald Trump and his negotiators, who now think that the Kremlin leader may be more inclined to consider a potential peace deal than before.

However, senior US officials remain skeptical of Putin and his claims that he seeks a peace agreement. There is also a widespread belief that even if Russia agrees to the terms on the negotiating table, Moscow may attempt to resume the war to seize even more Ukrainian territory.

"I think that he may be thinking - I don’t want to say thinking smaller - but thinking about what a reasonable nearer-term objective is," said a senior Western intelligence official.

The pressure exerted by the Trump administration, threatening new sanctions and battling Russia's economy, places Putin in a potentially difficult position. CNN also notes that during the negotiations, particular attention was given to the potential for investments between the US and Russia in the event of the war's end.

“All of this really depends on what is the US willing to put on the table so that he could not just claim victory domestically, but really feel that he has achieved something that is worth a significant pause and then maybe retake up the fight at some point later.," said an official.

The source also pointed to Putin's repeated references to the historical origins of the Russian people and stated that he has a long-term goal of capturing much of Ukraine, at least those parts of it that, in Putin's view, are the cradle of Russian civilization.

A senior European official agreed that Moscow is ready to play along with the US and limit its immediate goals to improve relations with Washington. However, the country has clearly not abandoned its maximalist military objectives.

"The Kremlin hopes that a better relationship draws the attention away after a tactical pause and that they can then use the mix of military, economic, informational and political tools to achieve Putin’s full objectives in Ukraine and beyond," the official said.

Negotiations will continue

Yesterday, US Vice President JD Vance stated that there is a great gap between the positions of Russia and Ukraine.

According to him, in the coming months, the US administration will focus on foreign policy issues. He emphasized that diplomacy should bridge this great gap.

"We've got the peace proposal out there and issued, and we're going to work very hard over the next 100 days to try to bring these guys together," he added.