"Putin is about to be knocked off his perch" - British reporter describes worst-case scenario of peace plan for russia

For the first time in many years, there are real grounds for cautious optimism, and 2026 could bring a just and lasting peace to Ukraine.

This is what Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, a columnist for the influential British newspaper The Telegraph, wrote.

The analyst notes that Donald Trump's statements that the peace agreement on Ukraine is 95 percent ready obviously caused panic in moscow, which manifested itself in the usual kremlin manner: brutal disinformation and implausible narratives. The claim that one of putin's many palaces was attacked by 91 drones this week was a prime example of this.

"The CIA has informed the US president that this was almost certainly a false flag operation. This is a clumsy and unambiguous attempt to derail a peace process that is rapidly spiraling out of the Kremlin's control. Even more damaging for Putin is that his own population is beginning to doubt this version of events. When propaganda collapses at home, regimes soon follow," Bretton-Gordon said.

At the same time, putin realizes that his only remaining leverage is to drive a wedge between Trump and Zelenskyy. However, today Trump is noticeably less susceptible to kremlin manipulation than a few weeks ago. And this is leading the White House to a peace that, while not ideal for Ukraine, is much worse for moscow.

As the observer notes, it is extremely important that the US-NATO security guarantees, designed for 15 years, are in fact NATO's defense. Even more disturbing for the kremlin is Trump's open discussion of the presence of Western troops in Ukraine: "This is the worst-case scenario for Putin. No manipulation, even at the peak of the Kremlin's propaganda machine, could disguise such an outcome as anything other than defeat."

With the front lines frozen, it will be Trump, not putin, who will negotiate with Kyiv over access to rare earth minerals in the Donbas. If we add to this the growing likelihood of reparations, as well as the possible seizure of frozen russian assets worth USD 200 billion, the russian economy, which is already in free fall, looks increasingly unstable, the analyst notes.

Two other factors will put strong pressure in Washington's favor. First, russia now realizes that its army cannot stand up to NATO, even without the United States' involvement. Second, with oil prices falling below USD 60 per barrel, the financial fuel that keeps the russian war machine going is rapidly evaporating. Without revenue, weapons fall silent.

"The CIA has effectively deprived the president of the ability to see through the Kremlin's deception. Now Trump has Putin by the throat," Bretton-Gordon emphasizes.

Fears of a nuclear escalation remain, but the kremlin's conventional nuclear threats have virtually disappeared in recent weeks, and this is no coincidence - moscow realizes that rattling nuclear weapons no longer scares European leaders, the analyst emphasizes.

"For the first time in many years, there are real reasons for cautious optimism. If Trump continues to put pressure on Putin, and European NATO countries continue to restore real military power - the only language the Kremlin respects - then 2026 could bring a just and lasting peace to Ukraine," he said.

To request a correction, please send an email.