President Vladimir Putin is determined to conquer Ukraine, betting that he can outlast Kyiv's Western supporters and win on the battlefield, even if Russian troops are advancing only steadily. Bloomberg writes about this, UNN reports .
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This was stated by four people familiar with the Kremlin's military strategy.
U.S. officials said they saw no signs that the Russian president was serious about finding a way to end the fighting late last year and rejected the idea of negotiating a ceasefire without Ukraine's participation.
Putin is now likely to escalate
With Russia lacking the manpower needed to make a decisive breakthrough and Ukraine having difficulty supplying its forces with ammunition, there is no indication that either side will be able to force a cessation of hostilities anytime soon.
Since his election victory last month, Putin has stepped up his rocket attacks on Ukrainian cities, saying he is not interested in giving Ukraine and its allies time to rearm if he agrees to a pause in the fighting.
Russia plans to form two new combined arms armies, 14 divisions and 16 brigades by the end of this year, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said. So far, the military has been expanding its ranks, attracting recruits with the promise of generous pay, and aims to have at least 250,000 soldiers in 2024.
The prospect of Donald Trump's return to the White House in the November presidential election is also raising concerns in Ukraine and Europe that U.S. military support could wane.