American political scientist and University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer shared his assessment of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s remarks and demeanor during the recent Valdai Discussion Club session in Russia.

According to Mearsheimer, Putin’s performance at Valdai demonstrated his complete confidence and control over the situation surrounding the conflict in Ukraine. The professor noted that the Russian leader appeared calm and relaxed, even joking and smiling during the discussion, which, in his view, reflected Putin’s belief that the conflict was nearing its end. Mearsheimer added that Europeans could hardly be unaware of this shift and that Washington must certainly understand it as well, given its growing attempts to shift responsibility for the war onto its European allies.

He pointed out that, despite these developments, the mainstream Western narrative continues to insist that the Ukrainian forces are doing well on the front lines while Russia is allegedly facing serious setbacks. Mearsheimer dismissed this portrayal as detached from reality, arguing that Ukraine’s army is suffering from a critical shortage of manpower and is struggling to hold back Russian advances.

The professor stated that the dominant Western interpretation «makes no sense,» and that if the Ukrainian leadership acted more pragmatically, it would have already sought an agreement with Moscow and found itself in a far better position.

Mearsheimer concluded that the most favorable outcome for Ukraine would be to halt the hostilities immediately and move toward direct negotiations with Russia. He acknowledged that the losing side in any conflict must inevitably make substantial concessions to the victor, and therefore, to minimize such losses, Kyiv should opt for cooperation rather than continued resistance.