The Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is preparing to end the war against Ukraine. This is reported by the German newspaper BILD, citing sources within the German government and intelligence.
According to one scenario, the Kremlin regime may attempt to conclude the war by the end of this year and is already sending signals to its electorate and the international community.
One reason for this assessment is the deteriorating economic situation in Russia. Interest rates and food prices are rapidly rising. Over the past five months alone, the ruble has lost more than 20% of its value against the euro.
Even the three-shift operation of the defense industry can no longer conceal the crisis in other sectors. If the economic growth in 2024 was slightly less than 4%, the new year is expected to see growth of no more than 1%.
According to BILD, an article published in the Russian business newspaper "Kommersant" in December 2024 reported that the head of the policy department informed about events from within the Kremlin: the Russian presidential administration is already working on a post-war election campaign for the parliamentary elections in 2026.
The Putin administration believes that the end of the "Special Military Operation" is approaching, and preparations must be made for this,” quotes the informant from "Kommersant."
The goal of Putin's party is that any "future results of the military special operation should be perceived by society as a victory."
According to BILD, the German side believes that internal information from the Kremlin could not have been published without its consent.
The newspaper "Kommersant" is not an opposition publication and is published daily in Russia. The publication of internal Kremlin information without permission from above could lead to devastating consequences for the newspaper.
Thus, Berlin believes that the information may have been deliberately leaked to the publication from the power center in Moscow.
As reported by "Podrobnosti," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky believes that the only way to ensure Ukraine's security and prevent a repeat of the Russian invasion is through a strong army, an invitation to NATO, and security guarantees from the United States.