Putin will continue war in Ukraine, just not to show Russia "hopelessly vulnerable and weak," - Bloomberg

This was reported by Bloomberg.

According to Putin's entourage, who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity, Russian president is determined to continue war in Ukraine, despite  failure of plan to quickly seize  country. And all because in his eyes, reduction of Moscow's ambitions will make it "hopelessly vulnerable and weak" to the West.

It is also reported that a few weeks after  invasion, Putin's advisers narrowed even further compared to a limited group of supporters of a military solution to Russia's interests in Ukraine, with whom he had previously consulted.

Sources note that  decision to invade Putin was made together with such "hawks" as Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Secretary of  Security Council Nikolai Patrushev.

Bloomberg asked president's spokesman Dmitry Peskov for an official comment, but he did not respond to a request.

Publication emphasizes that limited information received by Putin contributed to  Kremlin's miscalculations. Moscow hoped that in first days of offensive it would receive wider support from Armed Forces of Ukraine and Ukrainian politicians.

" Russian leader also underestimated his Ukrainian counterpart (Vladimir Zelensky, ed.), Initially considering him weak," Bloomberg reports.

Commenting on  article, Tatiana Stanovaya, a political adviser to R.Politik, said Putin had built his regime on public support, giving him control over the elite.