JRL NEWSWATCH: “Putin still wants most of Ukraine, war outlook grim – U.S. intelligence chief” – Reuters
“… Putin still wants to seize most of Ukraine, but his forces are so degraded by combat that they likely can only achieve incremental gains in the near term … [said] Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, outlining the current U.S. intelligence assessment of the more than four-month war[.] … [T]he consensus of U.S. spy agencies is that it will grind on ‘for an extended period of time.’ … She said that Putin remains intent on overunning most of Ukraine even though Ukrainian forces beat back Russia’s attempt to capture the capital Kyiv in February, forcing Moscow to reduce its target to seizing the entire … Donbas …. Ukraine, the United States and other countries say Russia is conducting an unjustified war of aggression ….”