VLADIMIR Putin is “stringing us on” and has no interest in Ukraine peace talks, the head of MI6 has warned.
He will only negotiate to save his own skin, when a crisis threatens is rule, spy chief Sir Richard Moore predicted.
APVladimir Putin attends the Russian-Belarusian joint military drills[/caption]
GettyRichard Moore, Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service[/caption]
John R. Moore with Sun defence editor Jerome Starkey
Sir Richard said Russia cannot win and urged the west to hold its nerve.
Speaking in Istanbul the boss the UK’s Secret Intelligence Service said: “I have seen absolutely no evidence that President Putin has any interest in a negotiated peace short of Ukrainian capitulation.
“He is stringing us along.”
Sir Richard, who is known as C, said Putin lies to the world, to his people and “perhaps even to himself.”
In a message aimed squarely at President Trump, Sir Richard said: “We should not believe him or credit him with strength he does not have.”
Trump has called Putin a genius, repeatedly mentioned Russia’s size and strength, and he rolled out the red carpet for Putin when they met in Alaska last month.
But Trump said Putin had “let him down” this week in a sign their relationship might be souring.
Speaking during his state visit to Britain, Trump said: “I thought this war would be one of the easiest to solve because of my relationship with Putin. But he has really let me down.”
Sir Richard, who has access to Britain’s most secret reports on Putin’s intentions, insisted the Russian dictator was still determined to bring Kyiv under Russian control.
He said: “Putin seeks to impose his imperial will by all means at his disposal.”
But he said Russia was doomed to fail.
He said: “He cannot succeed. Russia simply does not have the wherewithal to fully subjugate Ukraine by force.”
Sir Richard acknowledged Russian troops were “grinding forward on the battlefield”.
But he said it was at “a snail’s pace and horrendous cost”.
ReutersRussia’s President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Governor of the Primorsky region Oleg Kozhemyako[/caption]
APSir Richard, who is known as C, said Putin lies to the world[/caption]
He said: “Putin has bitten off more than he can chew.
“History warns us never to underestimate a country fighting for its independence and for its very survival.
“Greater powers than Russia have failed to subjugate weaker powers than Ukraine.
“In the end, if we hold our nerve, Putin will need to come to terms with the fact that he has a choice – to risk an economic and political crisis that threatens his own rule, or make a sensible deal.”
Sir Richard, who has been tipped as a possible British ambassador to Washington, lavished praise on Ukraine’s President Zelensky.
He said: “My admiration for him is unbounded.”
By contrast he accused Putin of plunging Russia into “long term decline”.
He said: “He invests not in infrastructure, schools and hospitals but in missiles, munitions and morgues.”
Britain and European leaders have rallied round President Zelensky after the war leader had a disastrous meeting with President Trump in the White House in March.
Trump’s relations with Zelensky have since improved but Ukrainians fear he could cut US support to Ukraine on a whim.
Trump threatened Russia with “serious consequences” if he didn’t make steps towards peace.
But Trump’s deadline passed with no penalties for Russia.
And Moscow has since flown a squadron of drones into Poland during a night time blitz on Ukraine.
Sir Richard goaded the Russian president – who is himself a former KGB intelligence officer – by encouraging Russians to spy for Britain.
And he boasted that some of Putin’s opponents were already “secretly working with MI6”.
Sir Richard was making his final public speech before stepping down after five years as the chief of MI6.
And he formally launched new “dark web portal” codenamed Silent Courier, to help potential spies contact MI6 secretly from anywhere in the world.
He is due to be replaced by Blaise Metrweli, the first ever female chief of MI6, who is currently serving as Q, head of the MI6 gadgets.
Sir Richard goaded the Russian president by encouraging Russians to spy for Britain
ReutersVladimir Putin attends a meeting with members of the government[/caption]