German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed his doubts that Russian President Vladimir Putin is being made fully aware of the situation in Ukraine by his advisers.
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Scholz told a German politics podcast due to be released on Sunday that he was convinced "that the Russian president is not properly informed," and that "his own services are also withholding many truths from him. For example, how many Russian soldiers have died in this war."
The chancellor's comments echo those made by the head of British intelligence agency GCHQ on Thursday that Putin's advisers were afraid to tell him the truth. The US government made similar comments on Thursday, citing their own intelligence.
Nevertheless, Scholz said, the Kremlin had to be aware of the extent of its miscalculation regarding Ukraine. Putin felt deceived by the Russian military, Scholz said, which had in turn led to tensions between the Kremlin chief and the military leadership.
Scholz stressed that Russia could not emerge victorious, no matter how the conflict ended. "This war is not only destroying Ukraine, but also Russia's future," he said, adding that, without a peaceful solution, Russia would have no chance of returning to even "reasonable" economic growth.
Australian Associated Press
