Vladimir Putin is reportedly prolonging his Ukraine efforts, hoping for a Donald Trump win in 2024, which could lead to decreased US support for Ukraine, Business Insider reports.
Western officials worry that Putin is banking on a Republican victory in the next US presidential election, which may result in reduced US funding for Ukraine. While there’s no specific information about Putin factoring the 2024 election into his long-term plans, the upcoming election is a significant concern for national security officials and diplomats.
“Putin knows Trump will help him. And so do the Ukrainians and our European partners,” an unnamed source told CNN.
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“So even though we haven’t seen anything explicitly to that effect, you have to assume, I believe, that everyone is thinking it.”
Another US official expressed “no doubt” that Putin is “trying to hold out” until the next election.
However, maintaining the war effort for another 15 months could be logistically challenging due to Russia’s manpower issues, dysfunction within its depleted ranks, and Putin’s waning power post the Wagner Group uprising.
Despite these challenges, officials believe Putin sees another Trump presidency as a potential lifeline for Russia, given Trump’s past defenses of Putin and Russia’s actions in Ukraine.
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