A recent US intelligence assessment warns that Russian President Vladimir Putin is more determined than ever to continue the war in Ukraine and prevail on the battlefield.

According to NBC, the analysis, which was presented to members of Congress this month, says there is no indication that Russia is ready to compromise on the Ukraine issue as President Donald Trump seeks to broker peace talks.

This assessment is in line with the way that the American and Western intelligence agencies understand the attitude of the Russian regime since February 2022, when Putin ordered the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

But according to officials at the American network, Putin today seems more unmoved than ever. Despite heavy Russian military losses and economic blows at home, the Russian president appears determined to secure Ukrainian territory and expand Russia’s influence to justify the war’s human and financial costs.

In a sign of Trump’s growing frustration, last week he canceled a planned meeting with Putin in Budapest and, for the first time since he returned to power in January, imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil companies.

“I just felt it was time,” Trump told reporters, calling the new sanctions “huge” and adding that he had “waited a long time” to impose them but hoped “they don’t last too long.”

“We hope the war will be resolved,” he added.

The White House declined to comment on the recent intelligence assessment and referred to Trump’s public statements about efforts for a peace deal.

“As the president has stated, these are massive sanctions against the two major oil companies in the hope that they will help end the war,” the official said in a statement.

“He has made it clear that it is time for the bloodshed to stop and an agreement to end the war. The United States will continue to support a peaceful resolution of the conflict, as lasting peace depends on Russia’s willingness to negotiate in good faith.”

Donald Trump has long pledged to broker an end to the war in Ukraine, and as a candidate he promised to end the war within 24 hours of returning to office. However, his efforts to get Russia to come to the negotiating table and agree to a ceasefire have so far failed.

Trump’s rhetoric has changed in recent months, as has expressed dismay at Putin’s attitudeaccusing him of not backing up with actions the positive words expressed in their conversations.

“Every time I talk to Wladimir, we have good talks, and then they don’t go anywhere. They’re just not going anywhere,” Trump said last week.

Trump had even said publicly that he might provide Ukraine with US long-range Tomahawk missiles within the month, although he later backed off after a phone call with Putin.

Ukraine has appealed to Washington for the supply of longer-range missiles so it can strike targets inside Russia, a request that has also been supported by European powers.

Ukrainian officials, European governments and Kiev’s supporters in Congress have repeatedly called on Trump to pressure Russia through arms shipments and sanctions to force Moscow to accept a ceasefire and peace talks.

The announcement of sanctions against Russian oil companies marked the first time Trump has followed through on threats to impose economic measures on Moscow.

According to European diplomats, former US intelligence officials and analysts, new sanctions on Russia, Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian oil and energy facilities, and European efforts to bolster Ukrainian forces may over time change the Kremlin’s calculations.

In August, the White House had presented the Alaska summit between Putin and Trump as an encouraging step toward possible peace negotiations. However, the war continues unabated, and Russia is sticking to its uncompromising demands, which would mean disarming Ukraine, banning it from joining NATO and blocking any Western peacekeeping mission.