Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is not planning on ending the war any time soon as Russia continues to seek the conquest of additional Ukrainian territory, the Institute for the Study of War said in its latest update.
During a meeting with the Russian Human Rights Council, Putin said that the war in Ukraine could be a "lengthy" process but that the occupation of Ukrainian territory is a "significant result of this process for Russia," the ISW reported.
Putin compared himself favorably with 18th-century Russian tsar Peter the Great by noting that Russia now controls the Sea of Azov, which Peter the Great also fought for, the ISW wrote.
The Russian dictator has compared himself to Peter the Great in the past, drawing a parallel between their quests to take back lands that were once a part of the Russian Empire.
According to the ISW, "Putin is conditioning Russian domestic audiences to expect a protracted, grinding war in Ukraine that continues to seek the conquest of additional Ukrainian territory."
