Putin Ready to ‘Freeze’ War

(ConservativeSense.com) – Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to “freeze” the Ukraine war along current lines. According to unconfirmed comments from inside the Russian government, Mr. Putin will persuade his people that the war has been successful. Experts say Putin is worried about the prospect of mass troop build-up as his popularity fell when he previously suggested a “partial mobilization” may be necessary.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters that President Putin does not want an “eternal war,” while US National Security Advisor John Bolton stated that he believes the Russian leader will seek ways to end the fighting after the US Presidential election in November. Bolton believes that if Donald Trump wins the election, Putin will seek a ceasefire, maintain current positions, and negotiate from there.

Meanwhile, Russian forces are reportedly amassing near Kharkiv in preparation for a new ground offensive. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Kremlin’s troops are within 90 kilometers of the city, which is set to open up a new front line.

On May 25, the battle in the Kharkiv region intensified under Russian bombing. More than a dozen people died, and almost 50 were injured during a Russian strike on a supermarket. Witnesses said there were at least two explosions at the Epicenter market in Ukraine’s second-largest city with around 200 people inside. Immediate figures confirmed that 18 had died, and around half a dozen were unaccounted for.

Reports from inside Kharkiv note that businesses remain open, and the city of a million people continues to live as normally as possible. Experts describe Kharkiv as the most vulnerable city in Ukraine, partly due to its proximity to the Russian border.

Lieutenant-General Ihor Romanenko, former deputy chief of Ukraine’s General Staff of the Armed Forces, described Kharkiv as a Russian priority and claimed Moscow intends to make it unlivable. “Putin can’t forgive the fact that a Russian-speaking city didn’t want to become part of the Russian world,” Romanenko said.