Faced with the difficulties of his army in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin is convinced that he will win a final victory with wear and tear, refusing to consider any other option, analyzed the boss of the CIA, William Burns, in an interview on Sunday.
"
Putin, in my opinion, now thinks he can't win right away, but he can't afford to lose
," the director of the US intelligence agency told CBS.
"
Right now
", according to William Burns, "
I think Putin is downright determined
" but "
overconfident in his ability to wear down Ukraine
".
And instead of considering a way out, the Russian president "
persists and signs
" in his war, according to the former American ambassador to Moscow.
His November meeting in Turkey with his Russian counterpart Sergei Naryshkin was "
demoralizing
", he also said.
He says he saw "
a form of imprudence, of excessive pride
" in the boss of the SVR (external intelligence), met to warn him of any recourse to nuclear weapons, and not for negotiations, the point of which starting point "
will be decided by the Ukrainians
".