John Jordan, a retired senior naval intelligence officer, told Newsmax on Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is not preparing the Russian people for peace, but rather an "extended conflict" with Ukraine.
Jordan told "American Agenda" that Putin is showing no sign he intends to reach a deal to end the war.
"And right now, inside all of the Russian media space, which is largely controlled by the government, the message is unequivocal," Jordan said. "They are putting Russia more on a war footing and preparing the population for an extended conflict."
Jordan said he has no question that Putin is putting on a front when it comes to a potential peace agreement.
"So there's no sign inside Russia that Russia is starting to engage in any sort of climb down to try to meet the Ukrainians halfway," Jordan said.
He said the greatest indicator of the direction of Putin's plans is to listen to Russian media.
"In these types of autocratic regimes, the leading indicator or the best way to get a sense of what the Russian government is thinking is what they're telling their own people, what they're preparing them for," Jordan said,
He said the phrase "go big or go home" applies to how Putin views his course of action.
"Russia has lost so much," Jordan said. "The casualties so enormous, the loss of treasure so staggering, the consequences of their economy long term, that if we walk away with just a little bit, like those four annexed territories, it might not be survivable in the long run, because then he has to go home and put the economy back together.
"And in the past, we've seen that autocrats don't often survive that sort of thing."
The choice for Putin, said Jordan, appears to be clear.
"Putin now, at this point, fears peace for the benefit of his own regime more than continuation of the war," Jordan said.
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.