Kremlin Rejects U.S. Intelligence Claims on Putin’s Alleged Plans to Expand War Beyond Ukraine's

The Kremlin has firmly rejected claims attributed to U.S. intelligence suggesting that Russian President Vladimir Putin intends to seize all of Ukraine and potentially reclaim parts of Europe that were once under Soviet control. Responding on Monday, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said such assessments are incorrect if accurately represented.

The comments came after Reuters reported, citing six unidentified sources, that U.S. intelligence agencies continue to believe Putin has not abandoned ambitions of capturing the entirety of Ukraine and reasserting influence over parts of Eastern Europe formerly within the Soviet bloc. Peskov told reporters that Moscow could not assess the reliability of the anonymous sources but emphasized that the intelligence conclusions described in the report were “absolutely not true.”

Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, deploying tens of thousands of troops. As of now, Russian forces control roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. The ongoing war in Ukraine has fueled concerns among European and Ukrainian leaders that Moscow’s ambitions may extend beyond Ukraine’s borders, especially given heightened tensions between Russia and NATO.

While Putin has never publicly stated an intention to conquer all of Ukraine, he has repeatedly warned that Russian forces could advance further if Kyiv refuses to cede the remaining parts of the Donbas region still under Ukrainian control. The Donbas, located in eastern Ukraine, remains a focal point of the conflict.

The Kremlin has consistently argued that NATO’s eastward expansion poses a direct threat to Russian security. NATO now includes several Eastern European countries that were once part of the Soviet sphere of influence following World War Two. Moscow views this expansion as a key factor behind rising geopolitical tensions.

Putin has also stated that Russia does not seek to restore the Soviet Union or attack any NATO member state. Earlier this month, he said Russia does not want a war with Europe but warned that if Europe were to initiate such a conflict, Russia would prevail.