US intelligence has presented a report to the US Senate that highlights the continuing threat of Russia using nuclear weapons in the conflict with Ukraine. The document, released on March 25, 2025, at a meeting of the relevant committee, was cited by Bloomberg. It says that Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned the idea of ​​using the nuclear arsenal, despite the protracted nature of the conflict.

According to intelligence assessments, neither Moscow nor Kyiv seeks an immediate end to hostilities. Both sides believe that continuing the conflict carries fewer risks than a compromise settlement that does not satisfy their strategic goals. For Russia, analysts emphasize, certain successes on the front allow Putin to maintain “strategic patience,” counting on the enemy’s exhaustion. At the same time, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky faces internal and external challenges: any territorial concessions or agreement to neutrality without firm security guarantees from the West could provoke protests within the country and undermine long-term stability.

The US intelligence claims come as the standoff continues to escalate in 2025. In March, Russian troops stepped up their offensive in the Donbas region, while Ukraine stepped up attacks on Russia’s border regions, including the Belgorod and Kursk regions. These actions, experts say, only strengthen the Kremlin’s position of unwillingness to negotiate, fueling Western fears of an escalation.