Putin decided on full-scale invasion in early 2020 – The Guardian
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin decided to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in the first half of 2020.
This is stated in a report by The Guardian based on interviews with more than 100 Ukrainian, American and European current and former officials, Censor.NET reports.
Details
The media outlet writes that the US Central Intelligence Agency uncovered much about Putin’s plans for the attack, but initially failed to determine precisely when he made the decision to take decisive action. Later, after analysing the evidence, some agency analysts identified the first half of 2020 as the most likely period.
"During these months, Putin adopted constitutional amendments to secure his stay in power after 2024. Then, while isolated for several months during the coronavirus pandemic, he voraciously read books on Russian history and reflected on his place in it," the media outlet writes.
In the summer, the brutal suppression of the protest movement in neighbouring Belarus weakened dictator Alexander Lukashenko and made him even more dependent on the Kremlin. This created an opportunity to force the Belarusian dictator to allow the country’s territory to be used as a staging ground for a full-scale invasion.
