Russia touts military might before Trump-Putin dialogue

• Russia emphasizes its military strength before Trump's conversation with Putin.
• ISW points out the propagandistic nature of the Kremlin's actions.
• Russian soldiers do not wish to end the war without achieving their goals.

Russia is intensively promoting its military strength ahead of the planned conversation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) notes that the Kremlin is trying to convince the public of its superiority over the West.

Kremlin propagandist Pavel Zarubin published excerpts from an interview with Putin, in which he emphasized Russia's military superiority. Putin argued that his country has enough soldiers and weaponry to bring the war against Ukraine to a "logical end." ISW indicates that such messages are part of a strategy aimed at diverting attention from the country's economic problems by boasting about Russia's superiority over the West.

According to ISW, Russia is suffering heavy losses in the war, which may affect its ability to maintain the current pace of operations. Analysts suggest that Putin may be forced to make radical decisions in the coming years.

Russian soldiers, with whom journalists from the "New York Times" spoke, do not want to end the war without taking the eastern and southern regions of Ukraine. They believe this is the only way to avoid future conflicts. As they emphasize, this ensures that the death of their comrades will not be in vain.

The Kremlin has prepared society for war, making it difficult to reach peace without achieving the set goals. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues diplomatic efforts, but talks in Istanbul have not brought an agreement. ISW emphasizes that the talks showed that Russia is not interested in a ceasefire. It also lacks goodwill in negotiations.