Reports suggest Vladimir Putin seeks to end the war under specific conditions
The Russia-Ukraine armed conflict, the hottest spot on the global political stage, has entered a new phase. According to the influential Bloomberg news agency, citing reliable sources, Russian President Vladimir Putin plans to end this large-scale war by the end of 2026. However, the Kremlin leader intends to take this step only under specific conditions that would be considered an absolute victory for official Moscow.
These secret conditions include the following key points:
Establishing full and firm Russian control over the entire strategically important Donbas region;
Signing a comprehensive security agreement with European countries that would effectively recognize all of the Russian Federation's recent territorial gains (occupied lands).
Fatigue of the Kremlin elite and "nervous mood" among the public
Bloomberg sources added that there is currently a divergence of opinion among the Kremlin's top leadership and high-ranking officials. Some officials are privately emphasizing that this armed conflict has reached a complete dead end and there is no clear, promising way to resolve the situation legally.
Furthermore, many representatives of the Russian political and business elite share a growing sense of panic, a "nervous mood," and general war fatigue among the ordinary population due to relentless air strikes on Russian cities located far from the front line.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov responded to these sensational reports, stating firmly that Vladimir Putin has not set any specific deadline or time limit for ending the special military operation.
Destruction of oil refineries and economic impact
In recent weeks, the situation behind the front lines has escalated. Long-range combat drones launched by Ukraine are frequently striking strategic targets hundreds of kilometers inside Russian territory. The main targets of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are Russia's large oil refineries (OR). These attacks are causing powerful and devastating fires in major industrial complexes.
According to an analysis published in mid-May by the influential Reuters agency, these drone attacks have caused very serious and painful damage to the operations of almost all oil refineries in central Russia. It is worth noting that one-quarter (25%) of the total oil products produced in Russia came from these damaged facilities. In addition, unmanned aerial vehicles are regularly hitting ordinary residential buildings and other civilian objects, leading to premature casualties among the civilian population.
Vladimir Putin's rating at its lowest in a year
Against this precarious and alarming background within the country, the Russian leader's political rating among the public is declining significantly. The results of a new social survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM), one of Russia's leading and most reliable sociological centers, have clearly confirmed this.
According to it:
A full 14 percent of respondents in the survey rated President Putin's activities negatively as "worse." This figure is the highest (maximum) negative result in the last year;
For comparison, in May of last year, 2025, the share of those dissatisfied with the head of state's work did not exceed 6-7 percent. exceeded.
Change in the front: "Moscow's superiority is no longer the deciding factor"
Against the backdrop of these tensions in the political arena, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha made an important statement for the international community at the informal high-level meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council held on May 21 of this year. In his opinion, a real turning point has finally occurred in the long-running war, and political-military pressure from Western countries on Moscow is constantly increasing.
“Ukraine is holding its defensive line heroically and firmly. The numerical superiority of the Russian army is no longer the main and decisive factor determining the fate of the battle in today's modern war,” the Ukrainian top diplomat emphasized firmly.
Do you think Vladimir Putin's desire to end the war by the end of 2026 is related to the Russian economy and the severe consequences of drone strikes on oil refineries?
