Putin deliberately dragging out peace talks on Ukraine – UK intelligence

The new chief of Britain's foreign intelligence service MI6, Blaise Metreweli, has said that Russian leader Vladimir Putin is deliberately dragging out negotiations to end Russia's war against Ukraine and stressed that pressure on Russia must continue.

That is according to Bloomberg, Ukrinform reports.

According to Metreweli, this assessment complicates the efforts of U.S. President Donald Trump, who seeks to reach a peace deal by the end of this year.

"We all continue to face the menace of an aggressive, expansionist and revisionist Russia, seeking to subjugate Ukraine and NATO members," Metreweli said in her first public appearance since she became the head of MI6 in September.

She said of Putin: "He is dragging out negotiations and shifting the cost of war onto his own population."

“Putin should be in no doubt, our support is enduring. The pressure we apply on Ukraine's behalf will be sustained," she added.

Such comments may indicate that UK intelligence officials think Russia sees its advantage in fighting through the winter.

Metreweli's words suggest there has been little alteration in Western security officials' assessment that Putin doesn’t intend to stop fighting in Ukraine anytime soon, despite talks to end the war that have taken place between the Kremlin and American negotiators in recent weeks.

Last month, her predecessor Richard Moore told Bloomberg that the latest intelligence he'd had access to before leaving his post indicated the same.

As reported, talks between President Volodymyr Zelensky and a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had concluded in Berlin.

Zelensky described today's talks with the U.S. delegation as difficult but productive.