U.S. says Putin is "misled" by Russian military

White House believes that Russia's Vladimir Putin is being “misled” by his own military, which according to U.S. intelligence assessment, has resulted in tensions between the Kremlin leader and his military leadership, TURAN's Washington correspondent reports.

A senior U.S. official told reporters on Wednesday that there is “persistent tension” between Putin and his Ministry of Defense, “stemming from Putin’s mistrust” of its leadership.

White House communications director Kate Bedingfield detailed a declassified intelligence from the White House podium Wednesday afternoon:  “We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military, which has resulted in persistent tension between Putin and his military leadership,” Bedingfield said.

The intelligence adds to a body of evidence that Putin’s war in Ukraine, Bedingfield said, has been a “strategic blunder.”

The Pentagon also concurred with the conclusion that Putin has not been “fully informed” by his military “at every turn over the last month,” something that could be a concern for Western nations and Ukraine, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said.

“The fact that he may not have all the context, that he may not fully understand the degree to which his forces are failing in Ukraine, that's a little discomforting, to be honest with you,” Kirby said.

“Certainly one outcome of that could be a less than faithful effort at negotiating some sort of settlement here... The other thing is, I mean, you don't know how a leader like that's gonna react to getting bad news.”

Back in the White House, President Joe Biden on Wednesday spoke with President Zelenskyy about the ongoing work by the U.S. and its allies and partners to deliver military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and to impose severe costs on Russia for its brutal aggression against Ukraine.

"The leaders discussed how the United States is working around the clock to fulfill the main security assistance requests by Ukraine, the critical effects those weapons have had on the conflict, and continued efforts by the United States with allies and partners to identify additional capabilities to help the Ukrainian military defend its country," the White House said in a statement.

In addition,  Biden informed Zelenskyy that the U.S. intends to provide the Ukrainian government with $500 million in direct budgetary aid.

Alex Raufoglu

Washington D.C.