Putin completely loses plot as he fears he'll be 'hanging from lamppost in 6 months'

Russia’s war in Ukraine shows no signs of slowing. Instead, Moscow appears to be preparing for an even larger push on the battlefield — a strategy many see as an attempt to force a decisive breakthrough.

Over the weekend, Russian forces launched widespread drone and missile strikes across Ukrainian cities, killing and injuring civilians. The attacks came shortly after former U.S. President Donald Trump’s public remarks about brokering peace “within 24 hours” if returned to the White House — an offer that, so far, appears to have no effect on Moscow’s calculations.

An Ideological Battle

According to Macer Gifford, a British volunteer soldier currently fighting alongside Ukrainian forces, Putin’s ambitions go far beyond securing territory. Gifford believes the Russian leader is driven by an “ideological dream” rooted in the Soviet past, in sharp contrast to Ukraine’s westward-looking vision for its future.

“Putin knows that if he loses in Ukraine, his grip on power could collapse,” Gifford said in an interview. “Like many dictators before him, he fears the possibility of ending up in The Hague — or worse.”

Gifford, a former banker who also fought against ISIS in Syria, suggests that the Kremlin views total conquest as the only acceptable outcome. This assessment is shared by many Western analysts who have long argued that Putin’s ultimate goal is to fully absorb Ukraine into Russia’s sphere of control.

Troop Build-Up Near Kharkiv

Meanwhile, reports indicate that Russia is amassing significant forces near the border of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. Sky News cites sources suggesting as many as 50,000 Russian troops could be positioned there, potentially in preparation for a major offensive.

If this offensive goes ahead, it would mark one of the largest concentrated troop movements since the early phases of the invasion — raising concerns that the war could enter an even more destructive phase.