US President Donald Trump admitted in an interview with 77 WABC that he was wrong to think he could quickly end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Previously, he had convinced himself that this war would be the easiest to resolve due to his relationship with Vladimir Putin.
Trump explained that the situation with Ukraine is much more complicated than he expected, due to 'a lot of hatred' between Putin and Zelensky, and due to 'a lot, a lot of blood that has been shed.' He also noted that in the war, between 5 to 7 thousand people die every week.
It's just bad. It seems that every time I think we are close, he (Putin) goes and drops another bomb
Putin's Strategy and War of Attrition
Russian President Vladimir Putin is counting on a prolonged war with Ukraine, hoping that Ukrainian forces will exhaust themselves faster than the Russian economy will collapse. He believes that Russia can withstand such pressure and even survive the war under sanctions.
The American publication The Wall Street Journal analyzes Putin's strategy as a game of attrition, in which he believes he can outlast Ukraine both militarily and economically.
Putin believes that Ukraine will not withstand long-term pressure. He sees the Russian economy as resilient enough to survive the war, even under sanctions
In its report on the news, it is revealed that Trump acknowledged his mistake regarding the quick end of the war between Russia and Ukraine due to the complex relationship between Putin and Zelensky, as well as the high number of casualties. At the same time, it highlights Putin's strategy for a war of attrition, where he relies on the resilience of the Russian economy compared to Ukrainian forces.