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Putin Wants to Turn Ukraine Into the Next Belarus, Former MI6 Chief Warns
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![Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko]( "Photo of Dariia Mykhailenko")
Britain’s former MI6 chief Richard Moore says recent intelligence makes clear that Russian leader Vladimir Putin has no intention of negotiating an end to the war, reinforcing the tougher stance increasingly adopted by the US and its allies.
Speaking to Bloomberg’s The Mishal Husain Show on November 13, Moore said the Russian leader would require significantly more pressure before considering the type of settlement sought by US President Donald Trump.
“Under current conditions—I’m basing this on access I had a few weeks ago to our understanding of the intelligence—he’s not ready to do a deal,” he told Mishal Husain. “For me, the answer to that is he needs to be put under more pressure, so he is prepared to do a deal.”
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Moore said the intelligence picture must be conveyed clearly to political leaders. That includes the assessment that Putin’s aims go far beyond territorial gains.
“It’s telling us, for example, that Putin has no intention of doing a deal, that this is not an issue for him purely of territory, this is about dominating and turning Ukraine into something that looks rather like its neighbor, Belarus,” he said.
Moore also outlined the areas where further Western assistance could shift the balance of pressure on the Kremlin.
“More pressure on the battlefield. Ukrainians have an under-capitalized defense industry. They have spare capacity that cash would solve,” he noted, adding that Ukraine should receive expanded permissions for long-range weapons, stronger air defenses, and a coordinated effort to increase pressure on Putin domestically.
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“I don’t pretend that is going to give immediate results. We have to be patient. We have to be prepared to see this off,” Moore said. “I’ve talked about the seminal importance of this for the Western alliance—that we do not lose this contest of wills.”
Earlier, Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister Serhiy Kyslytsia, said that the Russian delegation that attended the Istanbul talks had no intention of negotiating peace, according to
He said Kremlin representatives dismissed Ukraine’s national identity, proposed setting up WhatsApp chats instead of substantive dialogue, and came equipped with detailed background files on each member of the Ukrainian team.
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