Putin is not interested in "peace deal" and wants to seize entire territory of Ukraine – NBC
As the administration of US President Donald Trump begins preliminary talks with Russian officials to end the war in Ukraine, intelligence from the United States and close allies indicates that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has not given up on his goal of taking control of the entire territory of Ukraine.
According to Censor.NET, NBC News reports this with reference to four representatives of Western intelligence and two interlocutors in the US Congress.
US intelligence suggests that Putin is trying to act and still thinks he can control the whole of Ukraine, the sources told NBC News.
"We have no information that Putin is interested in a real peace deal right now," the congressional source said.
"He thinks he's winning," one of the interlocutors said of Putin, noting that he is also not motivated to stop fighting by the losses of the Russian army.
All six of NBC News' sources say that, according to current intelligence, Putin still believes he can wait out Ukraine and Europe before eventually taking over all of Ukraine's territory.
NBC's sources believe that Putin may agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine and a broader peace deal, as this would buy him time to rebuild the Russian army.
"There is skepticism among U.S. and Western officials that Putin will eventually compromise and agree to a real, lasting peace deal. However, it is believed that he may go through with the negotiation process to see what concessions he can get and try to return to the world stage," the article says.
According to Western intelligence officials, Putin has no plans to withdraw his troops from Ukraine or withdraw any formations or equipment from western Russia.
Instead, NBC's sources claim that the Kremlin chief "feels confident" thanks to statements by Trump administration officials. Among them is the statement that the United States does not see Ukraine's membership in NATO as a realistic outcome of a negotiated settlement.
"His goals remain maximalist," said one Western intelligence official.
According to current and former U.S. officials, Ukraine is worried about being left out of the negotiations and that Russia will come to the table unwilling to compromise on its maximalist demands.
Meeting in Saudi Arabia
As a reminder, on 12 February 2025, Trump said that his meeting with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin was likely to take place in Saudi Arabia.
Trump also said that a meeting between representatives of Ukraine, the United States and Russia would take place in Saudi Arabia next week.
On 14 February, the Saudi Foreign Ministry announced that the Kingdom was ready to host a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
The US and Russian delegations will meet in Saudi Arabia on 18 February, Axios reports.
