Putin Determined To Continue Invasion Of Ukraine: Source Reports

Vladimir Putin is shifting away from attempts to reach a negotiated peace accord with Ukraine and intends to continue his invasion, a couple of source reports from over the weekend claimed.

• Sources told the Financial Times that Putin "sincerely believes in the nonsense he hears on [Russian] television and he wants to win big," adding that the President was "infuriated" by the sinking of Russia's Black Sea Fleet flagship last week.
• People speaking with the FT noted that the Kremlin is seeking a result that could be framed as a victory and the humiliating loss of warship Moskva makes it considerably more difficult.
• These insights were echoed by Meduza sources, who told the independent news website that the Kremlin sees no "good PR scenarios" for ending the war against Ukraine without reputational damage for Russian authorities.
• According to the report, Putin's domestic policy czars believe that Russian citizens overwhelmingly support the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. They reportedly believe that it's "too late to argue" with public opinion and "you need to keep going until victory".