According to a December 23 report by the New York Times, Putin insisted that Russia's operational goals had not changed, even though Ukraine's operation had failed and Western support was fading. However, in a recent secret diplomatic representation, Putin revealed his willingness to reach an agreement.
According to two former senior Russian officials, they obtained information from Putin's envoys. Since September, Putin has already said through intermediaries that he is open to a ceasefire on existing fronts. This is in stark contrast to his original ambition to dominate Ukraine. In fact, the United States** pointed out that as early as the autumn of 2022, Putin had issued a tentative ceasefire. At that time, the Russian army suffered a serious blow in the northeast of Ukraine. This is a secret proposal that has not been publicly reported. They further said that Putin hinted that he was satisfied with the land occupied by Russia and that he was ready for a truce.
In addition, according to the report, through multiple interviews with some Russian and international ** who know Putin well, it was found that the conflict lasted far longer than expected. Putin is trying to mitigate the risks that this poses while keeping an open mind. Despite Putin's fiery rhetoric in public, in private he exuded a desire to declare victory and move on.