Sophie Ray▪️▪️▪️

❗️Putin wants to end the war by the end of the year, but only on terms that he can present to the Russian population as a victory, – Bloomberg. ▪️Among these conditions are the full capture of Donbas and a broad security agreement with Europe that would effectively recognize Russia’s “territorial gains”; ▪️According to the publication, concern is growing among the Russian elite due to the failure of the spring offensive and regular Ukrainian drone strikes; ▪️Meanwhile, Ukraine and its allies are increasingly confident that Russia’s invasion is running out of steam, as Kyiv stabilizes the front line and halts Moscow’s spring offensive.