[Putin's immediate goals on Ukraine may have changed] The latest intelligence assessed by U.S. and Western officials shows that Russian President Vladimir Putin may have shifted his current focus to consolidating control over territory seized by Russian troops and boosting the Russian economy in the short term, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. Previous assessments have suggested that Putin feels the state of conflict is in his favor, and that he has the motivation and manpower to sustain a long-term fight against a fragile Ukraine and control the entire country. Two U.S. people familiar with the matter said Putin may have changed his mind, which has convinced Trump and his negotiators that Putin may be more willing to consider a potential peace deal than in the past. However, senior U.S. officials remain skeptical of Putin and his repeated claims in talks that he wants a peace deal.
