An official spoke Wednesday under anonymity to discuss recently declassified intelligence. He said that Putin was aware of the situation, and that there is still tension between Putin and senior Russian military officers.
Biden’s administration hopes that Putin will be moved by the revelation. The war is in a deadlock throughout much of Ukraine, with heavy casualties and Russian troop morale dropping as Ukrainian forces and volunteers provide an unexpectedly strong defense.
However, the publicity could lead to further isolation of Putin. Officials from the United States have stated that Putin is at least partially motivated by a desire for regaining the Russian prestige lost with the fall.
The official didn’t provide any details about the evidence that U.S. intelligence used to make this determination.
According to intelligence, Putin did not know that his military was using and losing Ukrainian conscripts. They have also concluded that Putin is unaware of the extent to Russian economic damage caused by the economic sanctions imposed by the U.S.A. and its allies .
According to the official, the findings show a “clear break in the flow of accurate data” to Putin and that Putin’s top advisers are “afraid tell him the truth.”
This intelligence is coming after the White House expressed doubts about Russia’s announcement on Tuesday that it would reduce operations near Kyiv to improve trust in ongoing negotiations between Turkish and Ukrainian officials.
Biden stated that they would “see” the outcome of the announcement. “I don’t read into it until after I see their actions.”
Regional leaders reported Wednesday that Russian forces attacked areas surrounding Ukraine’s capital and another major city overnight.
Kate Bedingfield, White House communications director, stated that the administration considers any Russian force movement a “redeployment” and not a withdrawal and that “no one should believe Russia’s announcement.”
On Wednesday, Biden met with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, President of Ukraine, to discuss the latest developments in war.
Putin has been viewed outside Russia as insular, surrounded by officials who aren’t always telling him the truth. Publicly, U.S. officials stated that they believed the limited information flow — perhaps exacerbated during the COVID-19 Pandemic — might have given Putin unrealistic expectations about how fast he could take over Ukraine.
Before the war, the Biden administration launched an unprecedented effort in publicizing what it believed to be Putin’s invasion plans. It used intelligence findings. While Russia did not invade, the White House was widely acknowledged for drawing attention to Ukraine and encouraging initially reluctant allies into supporting tough sanctions that have severely harmed the Russian economy.
However, underscoring intelligence’s limits, the U.S. also underestimated Ukraine’s willingness to fight before the invasion, stated Lt. General Scott Berrier, head, Defense Intelligence Agency in recent testimony before Congress.
