Putin Is Undeterred by Trump’s Public Anger

Briefing|Putin Is Undeterred by Trump’s Public Anger

Vladimir Putin is pushing ahead in Ukraine with renewed intensity, despite President Trump’s sharp criticism of him in recent days. Early this morning, Russian troops launched a record 728 exploding drones and decoys, according to Ukraine’s air force. The attacks rattled cities and towns across the western half of Ukraine and underscored its need for more weapons.

Putin is convinced that his country’s battlefield superiority is growing, and that Ukraine’s defenses may collapse in the coming months, according to people close to the Kremlin. They say he views halting the fighting as out of the question without extensive concessions by Ukraine. In fact, analysts say, he appears to have already factored in the possibility of new U.S. pressure.

Republicans have been working to secure Trump’s support for new sanctions on Russia. But it has become clearer that Putin is prepared to risk his relationship with Trump in the service of what has emerged as his overarching goal after 40 months of full-scale war: Ukraine’s capitulation.

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