According to a daily report from the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian President Vladimir Putin is laying the groundwork for a protracted war in Ukraine. Analysts draw this conclusion after he meets with the President's Human Rights Council, where he said the "special operation" in Ukraine could be a "long process."
ZLMs have been conducting preparatory and propaganda work for this since the summer.
Analysts agree with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's assessment that Russian forces are seeking an operational pause over the winter to regroup, recover and launch a more prominent offensive next spring. ISW believes such a pause would benefit Russia by depriving Ukraine of the initiative to counterattack.
