Putin has been duped by military ‘yes men’ who are frightened to tell him the truth: Officials from the United States and the European Union

According to White House and European sources, Russian President Vladimir Putin was misled by advisers who were too afraid to tell him how badly the war in Ukraine is going and how destructive Western sanctions have been.

On many fronts, Russia’s Feb. 24 invasion of its southern neighbor has been halted by Ukrainian forces, who have recaptured territory while civilians are trapped in besieged cities.

During a press briefing, White House communications director Kate Bedingfield said, “We have information that Putin felt misled by the Russian military, which has resulted in continuing conflict between Putin and his military leadership.”