Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

White House says Putin misled by advisers on Ukraine war

US, UK and European officials say Russia’s leader is being ‘misinformed’ about his military’s poor performance in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misled by advisers who are “afraid to tell him the truth” about the Russian military’s performance in Ukraine and the effect of Western sanctions on Russia’s economy, according to Western officials.

The assessments from officials in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom on Wednesday came as the Russian invasion of Ukraine ground to a bloody stalemate in much of the country and negotiations to end the month-long war failed to yield results.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said the US believes “Putin is being misinformed about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth”.

The intelligence findings also indicate that Putin is now aware of the situation on information coming to him and this has resulted in “persistent tension” between the Russian leader and his military leadership, she said.

Washington was putting forward this information now to show the conflict in Ukraine “has been a strategic error for Russia”, she added.

The Biden administration has been publicising US intelligence findings since before Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine was launched on February 24, using the information to rally European allies and counter Russian misinformation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine late last month


The Kremlin made no immediate comment on the US assessments.

It has previously denied US reports that Russian forces had been dealt substantial setbacks in Ukraine, with Putin himself saying in early March that everything was “going to plan”.

‘Clear breakdown’


Bedingfield’s comments came hours after a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that Washington’s latest assessment was based on newly declassified intelligence information, though they did not detail the underlying evidence for the determination.

The official said the intelligence community has also concluded that Putin was unaware that his military had been using and losing conscripts in Ukraine.

The findings demonstrate a “clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information” to Putin, and show that Putin’s senior advisers are “afraid to tell him the truth,” the official said, adding that the Biden administration is hopeful that divulging the finding could help prod Putin to reconsider his options in Ukraine.

A second US official said the latest assessment could complicate Putin’s calculations.

“It’s potentially useful,” the official said. “Does it sow dissension in the ranks? It could make Putin reconsider whom he can trust.”

A Russian armoured personnel carrier burns amid damaged and abandoned army vehicles after fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine, February 27


One senior European diplomat told the Reuters news agency that the US assessment was in line with European thinking.

“Putin thought things were going better than they were. That’s the problem with surrounding yourself with ‘yes men’ or only sitting with them at the end of a very long table,” the diplomat said.

Two other European diplomats also told Reuters that Russian conscripts were told they were taking part in military exercises, but had to sign a document before the invasion that extended their duties.

“They were misled, badly trained and then arrived to find old Ukrainian women who looked like their grandmothers yelling at them to go home,” one of the diplomats added.

Jeremy Fleming, the chief of UK’s GCHQ, said British intelligence shows that Russian soldiers had low morale and were poorly equipped.

“We’ve seen Russian soldiers – short of weapons and morale – refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft,” Fleming said in a speech in Canberra at the Australian National University, according to a transcript of his remarks.

He echoed the US and EU assessments, stating that Putin had “massively misjudged” the capabilities of the Russian army.

“We believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth,” Fleming added.

The Kremlin had no immediate comment on Fleming’s comments.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has killed and wounded thousands of people, and forced more than four million people to flee Ukraine, according to the United Nations.

Russian forces on Wednesday continued to bombard the outskirts of the capital Kyiv and the besieged city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine despite promising a day earlier to scale down military operations in both cities.

Ukraine and Western countries dismissed the Russian promise as a ploy to regroup by invaders suffering heavy losses.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
×