Putin Banking on Summer Turning Point in War, Analyst Believes
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is betting on a summer offensive campaign, which the Russian army has already launched in Ukraine. His goal is to capture more Ukrainian territory. With its intensified attacks on Ukraine, Russia is trying to intimidate Ukrainians and force them to surrender, said Oleh Lisnyy, president of the Policy Analytical Center.
The Gaze reports on this with reference to FREEDOM TV channel.
"We see that Putin has put everything he has into this summer. Or quite a lot, and that is why he is taking tactical and strategic steps. The tactical steps consist of him dragging his feet, pretending that he is going to negotiations. Now, after the SBU special operation, he is offended that he has fewer planes to shoot at Ukraine,” the expert said.
According to him, the Russian dictator is simply stalling for time. He does not want to end the war against Ukraine. Therefore, he is trying to wait until the US Senate goes on vacation without having time to adopt a decision on new sanctions against Russia.
“Then Russia will not be threatened by sanctions for some time, and Putin will win this summer in terms of time. The Russian Federation is only deceiving and dragging out the negotiation process, continuing to shell Ukrainian territory more and more intensely. That is, the calculation here is to achieve military success and intimidate the population of our country with shelling. And in this way, to force Ukraine to surrender. He sees no other option,” the speaker explained.
Ukraine's allies can play an important role in restraining Putin. However, in his opinion, the degree and effectiveness of their influence depend on various factors.
“We rely on the support of European countries and politicians who take responsibility. Therefore, we can destroy all of Putin's dreams of a turning point this summer, of Ukraine being left alone,” Lisnyy said.
As The Gaze reported earlier, Russia has already started its summer offensive campaign in Ukraine. The fighting on all sections of the frontline is of a positional nature. And the battlefield is fully controlled by drones on both sides, said military observer Denys Popovych.