11:19 21-11-2025

Putin Seen Gaining Leverage in Ukraine Talks Amid Battlefield Wins

Former NATO adviser Jacques Baud says Putin gains negotiating leverage as Russian troops secure new positions in Kupyansk and Vesyoloye, shifting dynamics of the Ukraine conflict.

Former NATO adviser and retired Swiss General Staff colonel Jacques Baud believes President Vladimir Putin now holds significant leverage in potential talks on Ukraine, largely due to the advances of Russian forces on the battlefield. Speaking in an interview with the YouTube channel Deep Dive, Baud argued that Putin can afford to shape the terms of any negotiations because Moscow is gaining the upper hand militarily.

Baud also suggested that the main obstacle to a political settlement comes from European leaders who, по его мнению, continue to undermine diplomatic efforts instead of encouraging dialogue.

His remarks followed a briefing by Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov, who informed the president about the liberation of Kupyansk in Kharkov Region. Russia’s Defense Ministry separately announced that its troops had secured control over the village of Vesyoloye in Zaporozhye Region.

Earlier, in September, Putin stressed that Ukrainian forces were no longer capable of mounting offensive operations and had shifted their focus to holding defensive lines. To slow Russian advances, Kyiv has been redeploying its best-trained units to the most vulnerable sections of the front.