Putin believes he cannot ‘afford to lose’ Ukraine war

CIA director William Burns claims that Putin believes he "cannot afford to lose" Ukraine war - and may even double his efforts to prevent it.

“I think he’s convinced right now that doubling down still will enable him to make progress," he told the Financial Times, describing Putin's mindset as a "very combustible combination of grievance and ambition and insecurity” stemming from years of grievance with Ukraine.

However, Burns doesn't see signs that Moscow is prepared to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in order to gain victory.

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