New intelligence reviewed by US and Western officials suggests Russian President Vladimir Putin may have shifted his immediate focus in the Ukraine war towards the shorter-term objectives of solidifying his hold on territory his forces have seized as well as boosting his country’s struggling economy,

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Monday a three-day cease-fire in its war with Ukraine is set to take place in May, but Ukrainian officials question its timing and validity.

President Vladimir Putin is open to peace in Ukraine and intense work is going on with the United States, but the conflict is so complicated that the rapid progress that Washington wants is difficult to achieve,