Putin believes he is winning the war by delaying hostilities - ISW

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin believes that he can win the war against Ukraine if he drags out the fighting indefinitely.

This was reported by RBC-Ukraine with reference to a report by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

"Putin probably believes that Russia can drag out the war indefinitely and win a war of attrition if it can get Ukraine to deny strong international support," the report for July 2, 2024, says.

The analysts believe that Russia's slow but steady successes on the battlefield since late 2023 confirm Putin's assessment and encourage him to avoid any real ceasefire that could end the war.

Also, according to ISW, freezing the war along the current demarcation line would provide Russia with strategically and operationally important Ukrainian territory on which the aggressor country could resume aggression, using an experienced army and a restored defense industrial base.

"ISW continues to assess that a ceasefire in Ukraine at the current lines is unlikely to stop further Russian aggression and will only provide Russia with critical time to rebuild its forces and prepare for future aggression against Ukraine," ISW emphasized.

Author - Dmitriy Levchenko, 03/07/2024