Putin is currently not interested in reducing the intensity of hostilities in the war against Ukraine and is likely counting on waiting out the winter to strengthen his position.
According to Ukrinform, US Senator Thom Tillis, co-chair of the NATO Observer Group in the US Senate, expressed this view in an interview with Radio Liberty during his visit to Ukraine.
The Republican senator from North Carolina believes that Putin expects to survive the winter and gain additional leverage afterward. At the same time, he said, the United States must continue supporting Ukraine and prevent Russia from using the winter as a tool of pressure.
Tillis said that they needed to make sure that the winter, and the suffering Putin was already clearly trying to inflict on Ukraine, would turn into a terrible winter for him. He added that the American people needed to be informed about Putin's terrorist tactics in Ukraine. Tillis noted that there had been many reports of behavior showing signs of terrorism. He said that, given the way Russia was trying to terrorize the population, Putin viewed the winter as an opportunity. At the same time, Tillis said that he also viewed the winter as an opportunity to help Putin continue down the slippery slope of failure.
