A former Russian prime minister says that Putin regrets the invasion of Ukraine, but refuses negotiations and is preparing to continue the war

Former Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov, who served from 2000 to 2004, said in an interview with AFP that Vladimir Putin understands that he made a mistake by invading Ukraine in 2022, but is not prepared to publicly acknowledge this or negotiate an end to the war.

Kasyanov maintains that the Kremlin leader was misled by reports from the security services, which portrayed Ukraine as a weak country. In his view, Putin is convinced that he can win a war of attrition and does not intend to make any concessions.

The former Russian prime minister warned that next winter could be difficult for Ukraine and called on Western countries to provide Kyiv with Patriot interceptor missiles to protect infrastructure and the population from Russian air attacks.

Kasyanov believes that high oil prices, generated by the conflict between the United States and Iran, as well as divisions between Washington and Europe, are encouraging Putin to continue the offensive. He also criticized the West's response to threats concerning Kaliningrad and the use of “all types of weapons,” saying that Europeans are too afraid of the Russian leader.

At the same time, Kasyanov said that Moscow is intensifying its hybrid attacks in order to provoke reactions that it can then exploit.