Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

White House says Putin misled by advisers on Ukraine war

US, UK and European officials say Russia’s leader is being ‘misinformed’ about his military’s poor performance in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is being misled by advisers who are “afraid to tell him the truth” about the Russian military’s performance in Ukraine and the effect of Western sanctions on Russia’s economy, according to Western officials.

The assessments from officials in the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom on Wednesday came as the Russian invasion of Ukraine ground to a bloody stalemate in much of the country and negotiations to end the month-long war failed to yield results.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, White House Communications Director Kate Bedingfield said the US believes “Putin is being misinformed about how badly the Russian military is performing and how the Russian economy is being crippled by sanctions because his senior advisers are too afraid to tell him the truth”.

The intelligence findings also indicate that Putin is now aware of the situation on information coming to him and this has resulted in “persistent tension” between the Russian leader and his military leadership, she said.

Washington was putting forward this information now to show the conflict in Ukraine “has been a strategic error for Russia”, she added.

The Biden administration has been publicising US intelligence findings since before Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine was launched on February 24, using the information to rally European allies and counter Russian misinformation.

Russian President Vladimir Putin launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine late last month


The Kremlin made no immediate comment on the US assessments.

It has previously denied US reports that Russian forces had been dealt substantial setbacks in Ukraine, with Putin himself saying in early March that everything was “going to plan”.

‘Clear breakdown’


Bedingfield’s comments came hours after a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told reporters that Washington’s latest assessment was based on newly declassified intelligence information, though they did not detail the underlying evidence for the determination.

The official said the intelligence community has also concluded that Putin was unaware that his military had been using and losing conscripts in Ukraine.

The findings demonstrate a “clear breakdown in the flow of accurate information” to Putin, and show that Putin’s senior advisers are “afraid to tell him the truth,” the official said, adding that the Biden administration is hopeful that divulging the finding could help prod Putin to reconsider his options in Ukraine.

A second US official said the latest assessment could complicate Putin’s calculations.

“It’s potentially useful,” the official said. “Does it sow dissension in the ranks? It could make Putin reconsider whom he can trust.”

A Russian armoured personnel carrier burns amid damaged and abandoned army vehicles after fighting in Kharkiv, Ukraine, February 27


One senior European diplomat told the Reuters news agency that the US assessment was in line with European thinking.

“Putin thought things were going better than they were. That’s the problem with surrounding yourself with ‘yes men’ or only sitting with them at the end of a very long table,” the diplomat said.

Two other European diplomats also told Reuters that Russian conscripts were told they were taking part in military exercises, but had to sign a document before the invasion that extended their duties.

“They were misled, badly trained and then arrived to find old Ukrainian women who looked like their grandmothers yelling at them to go home,” one of the diplomats added.

Jeremy Fleming, the chief of UK’s GCHQ, said British intelligence shows that Russian soldiers had low morale and were poorly equipped.

“We’ve seen Russian soldiers – short of weapons and morale – refusing to carry out orders, sabotaging their own equipment and even accidentally shooting down their own aircraft,” Fleming said in a speech in Canberra at the Australian National University, according to a transcript of his remarks.

He echoed the US and EU assessments, stating that Putin had “massively misjudged” the capabilities of the Russian army.

“We believe Putin’s advisers are afraid to tell him the truth,” Fleming added.

The Kremlin had no immediate comment on Fleming’s comments.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has killed and wounded thousands of people, and forced more than four million people to flee Ukraine, according to the United Nations.

Russian forces on Wednesday continued to bombard the outskirts of the capital Kyiv and the besieged city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine despite promising a day earlier to scale down military operations in both cities.

Ukraine and Western countries dismissed the Russian promise as a ploy to regroup by invaders suffering heavy losses.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
×