Putin believes in Russia’s victory over Ukraine and is ready to fight until at least 2025 - US intelligence
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has probably not changed his goals in the war against Ukraine and is confident that he will be able to win the final victory.
This is stated in the annual report "Global Threat Assessment - 2025" prepared by the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) for the US Congress as of May 11, 2025, Censor.NET reports.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin sees the war in Ukraine as an existential struggle against the West that will determine Russia's place in the world, Putin's stay in power, and his historical legacy. Putin remains confident in Russia's ultimate victory in Ukraine and is prepared to use military force until at least 2025. Putin also remains steadfast in his demand that Ukraine be permanently barred from joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), insisting that Kyiv withdraw all its military forces from Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson regions," the document says.
U.S. intelligence believes that Russia is likely seeking to avoid a direct conflict with NATO, as it believes it cannot win a conventional military confrontation with the Alliance.
"However, Moscow remains fully capable of using asymmetric capabilities against the United States and allies, including cyber and information campaigns, and ultimately poses an existential threat with its strategic nuclear forces that can strike the entire United States," the report says.
The document notes that Russia is pursuing a strategy of attrition and is trying to undermine Ukraine's ability to resist, demoralize its population, and wait for Western support to decline. Despite the slow pace of advance, the Russian military command probably considers it acceptable.
"In the absence of a negotiated settlement or, alternatively, strong support from the West, the situation on the battlefield is likely to continue to slowly change in Russia's favor through 2025, although the pace of Russian advance is slowing and is accompanied by significant losses in personnel and equipment," the report says.
US intelligence also provides data on Russian losses since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Thus, the report says that Russia has lost 700,000 troops, including at least 170,000 killed, as well as more than 10,000 pieces of military equipment, including 3,000 tanks. About 250 airplanes and helicopters were also lost.
U.S. intelligence believes that the Russian Federation is likely to continue to implement its strategy of trying to exhaust Ukraine and reduce its ability and will to resist through 2025, which, according to the occupiers' calculations, will allow them to impose their terms in any future negotiated settlement.
