Putin wants to catch his breath and then resume Russia’s colonization mission – Estonian intelligence
12 February 2025 21:32
Kaupo Rozin, Director General of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service, is convinced that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin wants to use the changing international situation to “take a breath” and continue his aggression against other countries.
This was reported by ERR, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
“As I write these words, it remains uncertain whether next year will put an end to Russia’s decade-long aggression against Ukraine and what form this conclusion might take. It seems that Putin sees the changing international situation as an opportunity for a temporary pause. Such a pause would be appropriate for a war criminal to consolidate his gains, catch his breath, and then resume Russia’s colonizing mission,” he said.
Rozin added that Russia should not dictate the terms of ending the conflict. He noted that there is no reason to believe that Putin has abandoned his ambitions, including the demand to return NATO’s military presence to its 1997 borders.
Also, according to him, the threat of a direct military attack on Estonia in 2025 remains unlikely, but Russia’s policy toward the country remains hostile, and its confrontation with the West continues.
“Despite huge losses, the Russian armed forces are growing, learning the lessons of war and rapidly developing technologies such as drones. This increases the threat level for NATO as well,” he added.
Rosin said that Russia could continue its subversive campaign in Europe in 2025 in an attempt to undermine support for Ukraine. However, the Kremlin does not understand that such actions, which potentially threaten lives, only strengthen its image as an aggressor and strengthen the unity of the West, rather than achieve the opposite, he said.
