After the CIA director’s visit, Putin refused to make concessions regarding Ukraine — The Washington Post
CIA Director John Retcliffe was unable to persuade Vladimir Putin to make concessions regarding Ukraine during his recent visit to Moscow. According to The Washington Post, following the meetings, the Kremlin may, on the contrary, be preparing for a further escalation of the war.
According to the newspaper’s sources among Western officials and members of the Russian elite, Ratcliffe tried to convince the leadership of the Russian intelligence services that Moscow is in a weak position and that further escalation would only worsen the situation for Russia. He also called for negotiations to begin.
One of the main goals of the trip was to convey to the Kremlin that Ukraine would not agree to a complete transfer of control over the Donbas to Russia. Retcliffe also tried to convince Russian leadership that continuing the war is not in Russia’s interests.
However, as the Washington Post notes, the CIA director’s position differs significantly from Putin’s views. Following his visit, Russia intensified its strikes on Kyiv. As a result of the attacks over four days, at least nine people were killed, and the main building of the Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) was damaged for the first time.
A source close to the Russian Foreign Ministry, speaking to the publication, suggested that these strikes may have been a signal to Washington.
At the same time, a representative of the Russian business elite said that the Kremlin allegedly considers a few additional months of war to be an acceptable price for Russia, but a serious problem for Ukraine. According to him, Russian leadership expects that strikes on the energy infrastructure and water supply systems in Kyiv and surrounding areas will cause maximum public discontent and ultimately force the Ukrainian government to end the war.
Source: The Washington Post
As a reminder, Sibiga called the strike on the SBU a serious escalation.
On September 4, a Russian drone struck the central building of the Security Service of Ukraine on Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv, across from St. Sophia Cathedral.
On September 4, a Russian drone struck the Security Service of Ukraine building near the “Zoloti Vorota” metro station in central Kyiv. A fire broke out at the scene.
Putin may agree to end the war in mid-2027 under certain conditions, according to The Atlantic
There will be no quick end to the war in Ukraine, as Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has no intention of ending it.
