Vladimir Putin bides his time as Ukraine conflict anniversary approaches

Mr Putin has repeatedly signalled a desire to negotiate an end to the fighting but warned that Russia will hold onto its gains

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking at a news conference (Sergei Guneyev/AP)

When the invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, some analysts predicted it might take as few as three days for Russian forces to capture the capital of Kyiv.

With the war now entering its third year, Russian President Vladimir Putin seems to be trying to turn that initial failure to his advantage by biding his time and waiting for Western support for Ukraine to wither while Moscow maintains its steady military pressure along the front line.