"The death of Putin is the first necessary condition for peace. Unfortunately, it is very hard for me to imagine a lasting peace while Putin remains in power. I consider only a military victory for Ukraine to be a more fundamental basis for such peace," he said. According to the general, the territorial concessions demanded by the Russian leadership will not lead to the end of the war; at best, they will only pause it. Coats is confident that Putin will not abandon his 'imperial ambitions' and will use this time to rebuild the Armed Forces for a new attack. The current failures and inability to achieve the set goals in Ukraine, the general explains, are due to the fact that Russia is "waging an illegitimate war." "This may sound abstract, but from a strategic point of view, it is of enormous significance. Russia is not fighting for its own survival. It chose this war itself and is spending colossal resources for rather modest results," Coats clarifies. According to him, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Putin to mobilize Russians through propaganda, as "a system built on lies eventually begins to collapse from within," especially when human and economic losses accumulate. "That is why Ukraine's strikes on Russian oil infrastructure are of strategic importance. They force Russia to spread its resources thin, reduce its revenues, and remind Russians that the war has a cost," the general notes. From Coats' perspective, Ukraine is gradually seizing the initiative on the front as well. At the same time, he emphasizes that the balance remains very fragile. According to the general, Ukraine has gained a "technological and moral advantage," but has not yet reached an operational position that would make these changes irreversible. Meanwhile, Putin's army has been retreating from previously captured territories in Ukraine for the second consecutive month. In April, net losses amounted to 116 km², and in May increased to 281.1 km², marking the worst performance for Russian troops since 2023, according to the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW). Analysts attribute this to counterattacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine, increased strikes by Ukrainian drones, and the blocking of Starlink terminals and the Telegram messenger for Russian military personnel. Despite this, the General Staff convinced Putin that the army would fully capture Donbas by autumn, after which he refused to freeze the war along the front line, sources told the Financial Times, as cited by The Moscow Times.