Vladimir Putin may be forced to reconsider his demands to end the war in Ukraine as "serious economic and military issues" begin to emerge, analysts say.
The Russian leader has aimed to portray Ukraine's defenses as on the verge of imminent collapse and a Russian victory as inevitable.
This has translated into strict red lines for Moscow during peace talks, including an insistence that Kiev must withdraw its troops from the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine as a condition for ending the fighting.
But the US-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, says Putin's commitment to his war aims is causing and exacerbating massive battlefield losses, manpower shortages and economic problems that will have "disproportionate effects" on Russians.
It says: “ISW has long estimated that Russia will begin to suffer from more severe economic and military problems in 2026-2027, and these stress points in the war effort are starting to emerge.”
"These stressors, combined with increased Western military support for Ukraine and harsher economic pressure, could force Putin to change his calculations and reconsider current negotiations," ISW adds. /Telegraph/
