Russian publicist Andrei Piontkovsky spoke about this on the Channel 24. He also assessed a possible truce between Ukraine and Russia, shared his thoughts of Putin's plan and what to expect from the West. Read the summary of this conversation.
Read more: Death and destruction: Podkopayeva shows Ukraine before and after the invaders' attack
Declaration of the war on NATO
Everyone understands that Putin has declared the war on the West and above all, on all NATO members. But they are waiting for one country they "led around by the nose" for 10 years, telling it didn’t deserve to become a member of NATO to protect them all now.
The bully, who threatens and brandishes nuclear weapons, has paralyzed the entire civilized West. The withdrawal of Russian troops to the position as of February 23 is the only form of truce that Ukraine can accept. The West will use this "break" to support Ukraine, because it will not be that scary, as there will be no war.
What Putin will choose
The media assume the essence of the truce agreement between Russia and Ukraine is the return of Russian troops to the positions as of February 23, meaning the invaders’ full withdrawal.
It is obvious that there is a serious struggle around this text in the narrow circles around Putin. However, Joe Biden's phrase "there will be a long and fierce struggle" indicates that Russia will choose another path, not an imitation of victory.