People around Putin are talking about ending the war

Part of the Russian elite considers the continuation of the war a “Pyrrhic victory” and is trying to guide Putin towards negotiations

After the Victory Parade in Moscow, Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with veterans that the war with Ukraine “may end soon.” This may reflect increased discussions within the Russian leadership about the need to end the conflict, writes the British newspaper The i Paper.

According to the publication, part of Putin’s circle believes that the war has reached a “point of diminishing returns.” One of the Russian political journalists cited by the newspaper said that the continuation of hostilities in order to capture the destroyed cities of Donbass seems pointless for part of the elite.

The i Paper writes that officials and political technocrats cannot directly argue with Putin, so they are trying to carefully push him towards a more pragmatic approach.

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A leaked report on the “Pyrrhic victory” has appeared in the media.

The publication draws attention to the leak of a February report prepared for the presidential administration. The document allegedly addresses the political risks of continuing the war.

“We must know when to stop,” The i Paper quotes the report as saying. The authors of the document warn that the continuation of the war could turn into a “Pyrrhic victory” and require a “revision of fundamental positions.”

According to the newspaper, the report allowed for the option of freezing the front line even without the complete capture of Donbass. It was proposed to present such a scenario as a victory for Russia and proof that Moscow allegedly thwarted the West’s plans to expand the conflict.

The Kremlin is concerned about ratings and public sentiment

The i Paper also writes about the publication of polls showing a decline in Putin's rating . Although the level of support for the president, according to the publication, remains high by Western standards, it turned out to be the lowest since the beginning of the war.

In addition, the United Russia party issued instructions for headquarters staff on how to answer awkward questions before the parliamentary elections .

The newspaper considers this a sign of growing discontent within the country.

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There is no single position in the Russian elite

According to The i Paper, among supporters of ending the war there is no consensus on the terms under which this should happen.

Some members of the elite are in favor of reducing losses now, while others - including Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov - believe that Ukraine should completely withdraw troops from the part of Donbass that remains under Kyiv’s control.

At the same time, nationalist-minded representatives of the security bloc are calling on Putin to continue the offensive and count on further advances of the Russian army in the summer of 2026.

Some ultranationalists are demanding an escalation of the war, including a new mobilization.

Putin, according to the publication, continues to wait

The i Paper calls Putin a politician prone to postponing difficult decisions and taking a wait-and-see approach.

The publication believes that the Kremlin now expects to check the results of the new Russian offensive and may again try to use attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure in the winter.

At the same time, the newspaper draws attention to the change in Putin’s rhetoric regarding Vladimir Zelensky. If earlier the Russian president called the Ukrainian leader a “neo-Nazi” and a “drug addict,” now he began to use a more neutral formulation - “Mr. Zelensky.”

The i Paper considers this a small but significant change in tone.

Photo: Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, Moscow, May 9, 2026. REUTERS/Ramil Sitdikov

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