A botched Russian invasion of Ukraine has not deterred President Vladimir Putin from his goal of taking over the country, assessed one U.S. intelligence veteran.
John Brennan, former director of the CIA, addressed Friday the signs of the invaders recoiling in the face of stiff Ukrainian resistance after five weeks of war.
“I don’t believe for one moment that Putin has given up on his objective of actually taking over Ukraine,” he said on MSNBC.
Declassified U.S. intelligence speaks to a rise in tensions in Moscow, with Putin feeling that top Russian military leaders have misled him about how poorly the campaign in Ukraine has gone.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Brennan seemed to agree with this assessment, saying he thinks Putin never anticipated the war to be this messy, instead expecting a quick victory.
Putin and the military “are trying to figure out exactly the way ahead and so why that’s why they are sending signals about negotiations and cease-fires,” Brennan said, adding that he also thinks Russian leaders are taking the opportunity to “reorient their forces, reposition them, and resupply them.”
