Retired Australian Armed Forces Major General Mick Ryan believes that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will do everything he can to persuade Ukraine to sign an unprofitable peace deal this year. US President Donald Trump may be the one to help him in this.
Points of attention
- In the face of stalled offensives and resistance, Putin is expected to persist in his efforts to sway international support and assert dominance in key regions surrounding Ukraine.
- Ryan's analysis underscores the ongoing power struggles and strategic maneuvers that Ukraine and the international community must navigate in dealing with Putin's ambitions.
Putin is not going to admit defeat
According to Ryan, despite the fact that Russia is currently truly weakened, its potential should not be underestimated.
He also voiced the assumption that in 2026, dictator Putin will do everything possible to implement several specific goals.
The Kremlin's most important goal is to convince Donald Trump's team to put pressure on Ukraine to conclude a peace agreement beneficial to Russia.
"I think that's his priority. And he's trying to achieve that by demonstrating the alleged invincibility of Russian troops on the battlefield. However, he's not succeeding at this point, as he has for the past four years," Ryan said.
Another important goal of the Russian dictator is to consolidate control over Donbas.
Despite the fact that the new spring offensive of the Russian army has already stalled, Putin will not give up on his goal.
"I see no signs of a departure from this priority. At the same time, this does not exclude the implementation of supporting actions in the Kharkiv, Dnipro or Zaporizhia regions," Ryan emphasized.
