Russia close to achieving goals in Ukraine war, Putin's spy chief says

Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Chief Sergei Naryshkin stated on Tuesday that Russia is nearing its objectives in Ukraine, asserting the Kremlin now holds strategic control in the war. He described Ukraine’s armed forces as "on the verge of collapse" while dismissing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s legitimacy and ability to negotiate.

The 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine has caused tens of thousands of deaths, displaced millions, and escalated tensions between Moscow and the West to levels not seen since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. Naryshkin's remarks reflect the Kremlin's view that Western support for Ukraine signifies a U.S.-led proxy war aimed at destabilizing Russia.

Meanwhile, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire and negotiations, while Zelenskiy proposed the possibility of foreign peacekeeping troops in Ukraine until the country can join NATO. As Russian forces advance in eastern Ukraine, particularly in the towns of Kurakhove and Toretsk, reports indicate that President Vladimir Putin is open to talks with Trump but remains firm on retaining control over occupied Ukrainian territories.

The war, which began in 2014 with Russia’s annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in eastern Ukraine, has been labeled by the West as an imperial land grab. Western nations warn that a Russian victory could embolden authoritarian regimes worldwide.

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