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Putin’s Peace Strategy Depends on a Victory Russia Hasn’t Won

Vladimir Putin is bringing one fundamental assumption to the latest US peace initiative: time is on Russia's side, and waiting strengthens his negotiating hand.

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Jason Jay Smart
Sep 07, 2026
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During a three-hour meeting in Moscow with American envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Putin insisted that Russian forces were making “real progress” toward their ultimate goals. [1] Behind the scenes, a Kremlin insider confirmed that Putin genuinely believes his army will conquer the entirety of the Donbas by the end of this year. [2]

Fifteen misse…

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