US intelligence: Putin has no interest in real peace with Ukraine
Photo: Vladimir Putin, Russian President (Getty Images)
US intelligence sees no indication that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to establish real peace with Ukraine. Instead, he likely aims to control the whole country, according to NBC News.
"We have zero intelligence that Putin is interested in a real peace deal right now," a source in Congress told the agency.
Six unnamed officials stated that Putin still believes he can "wait out" Ukraine and Europe to eventually take control of all Ukrainian territory.
They suggested that Putin might agree to a ceasefire or broader peace deal only to buy time for the military to regroup and recover.
US and Western officials remain skeptical that Putin will ever agree to a real long-term peace agreement. However, some believe he may enter negotiations just to see what concessions he can secure.
Sources also claim Putin liked recent statements by US officials suggesting that Ukraine's NATO membership is unrealistic as part of any peace talks.
"He thinks he’s winning," an unnamed Western intelligence official told NBC News.
Trump's statements
Earlier, after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump said that the Kremlin leader wanted to end the war.
According to the American leader, if Putin wanted to continue the war, it “would have been a big problem.”
At the same time, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio assured after talks with Russian officials that Russia is ready to start a serious process to determine how to end the war against Ukraine.
