Vladimir Putin reportedly believes Russia must capture the remaining Donbas fortress belt before ending the Ukraine war, with The Economist citing the Russian leader as telling Kremlin insiders, “They will hang me.” The reported pressure comes as Volodymyr Zelensky claims Moscow could mobilise more than 300,000 additional troops for a deeper Donbas push, while Ukrainian long-range attacks bring the war further inside Russia. With Kremlin insiders reportedly seeing the campaign at a dead end and analysts warning of possible escalation against NATO, could Putin's battle for Donbas trigger an even more dangerous confrontation with Europe?
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