Russian generals convinced Putin he will soon win the war
This, Financial Times writes, is the main reason why he is rejecting favorable terms proposed by Trump and refusing to sign a peace deal.
The newspaper notes that Russian military and security services regularly lie to Putin — inflating Ukrainian losses, exaggerating Russia’s advantages, and downplaying tactical failures.
And it shows: for over a month now, Putin has been insisting to Russians and the world that the army has supposedly captured and controls Kupiansk, while publicly listening to false reports from his subordinates on the situation at the front.