Basically, Putin recognized that he could not achieve his goals in the war with Ukraine militarily - the Russian Armed Forces are currently unable to capture major Ukrainian cities: neither Zaporizhzhia, nor Kherson, nor even the cities of the Donetsk region; Putin also made it almost directly clear: sanctions are very painful for the Russian Federation, which is why he wants them lifted; Putin is unable to do anything to counteract NATO's expansion: as a result of the war, the border between Russia and NATO has become much wider, and it is increasingly difficult for the Russian army, weakened by more than two years of war, to "hold the perimeter"; The Russian population's demand for peace is about 70% - this is how many Russians are ready to support Putin's decision to end the "SMO." Moreover, a significant part of the population (20-25%) is ready to support stopping the war on any terms; The flow of Western arms to Ukraine has resumed, and long-term contracts are being signed. F16s are coming soon; Ukraine has been allowed to strike Russian territory with Western weapons; Russia has an obvious manpower problem. If the war continues, Putin will be forced to conduct mobilization, which is unpopular among Russians; China is blatantly taking advantage of Russian weakness; Trump is a "dark horse" for Putin. His actions are unpredictable; Sanctions are becoming really sensitive and will be extended. Among other things, the tanker fleet will fall under them. This will leave the Russian Federation without key budget revenues from oil trade; Based on all this, Putin has stepped up his rhetoric about negotiations and freezing the war. Today, his initiative may look like a proposal from a position of strength, but I am sure he will go down in history as the man who finally brought down the "Russian empire."
Basically, Putin recognized that he could not achieve his goals in the war with Ukraine militarily - the Russian Armed Forces are currently unable to capture major Ukrainian cities: neither Zaporizhzhia, nor Kherson, nor even the cities of the Donetsk region;
