According to the US government, Russian President Vladimir Putin may have relieved some of his advisers from their duties in the Ukraine war and isolated himself. “There are indications that he has fired some of his advisers or placed them under house arrest,” US President Joe Biden said at the White House today. But there is “not that much solid evidence”.
When asked if Putin was being misinformed by his advisers, Biden replied: “There’s a lot of speculation. But he seems – I’m not saying this with certainty – he seems to be self-isolating.”
The White House reported yesterday, citing intelligence information, that Putin was not properly briefed on the situation. The Kremlin rejected this today and accused the US government of not understanding either Putin, the events or the decision-making mechanisms of the government in Moscow.
Biden said there was no clear evidence that Putin would withdraw his troops from the Kyiv area as announced. It is an open question whether the Kremlin boss will now focus on the Donbass. He himself is skeptical.