💭 🔥 🐵  Putin's current policy isn’t very different from Russia's imperial and soviet past, and internal change is unlikely, — Budanov in an interview with Al Modon 📰 ❗️ 🟠 We should create conditions in which Russia ceases to be an empire. Several regional national states should emerge on its territory. Only then will Ukraine, Europe, and the world feel safer;🟠 Sanctions on Russia should remain even after the war ends. Any other scenario would encourage further aggressive actions;🟠 Over 12 years of war, Russia has become poorer in every sense — economically, politically, and demographically;🟠 Russia faces internal problems and cannot defeat Ukraine, so the war should end, regardless of whether Russia’s leadership understands this;🟠 Ukraine will not give up its land; all occupied territories are temporary and will eventually be liberated;🟠 The Russian negotiating team understands it will have to accept U.S. security guarantees for Ukraine, whether it likes it or not;🟠 I have not heard the U.S. set any specific deadline for ending the war.