Putin's aide Patrushev said that the United States can influence Ukraine in peace negotiations, while claiming that Europe does not want peace. Comment from me: In reality, the only country that does not want peace is the country that started and continues to wage this war of aggression - Russia. The only country that must be pressured to stop the war is Russia. The United States and the EU are Ukraine’s allies. Just a couple of months ago, there was a sense that Russian elites - business, government and security forces - were beginning to grow disillusioned with Putin, due to his inefficiency and their own sense of insecurity and vulnerability, and would want to remove him from power. But Putin clearly sensed these sentiments, eased the "repression" against "his own," and created opportunities for new profits as the Russian economy shifted to a war footing, with the redistribution of property and money and a new wave of "nationalization." As a result, the Russian elite now sees opportunities for new profits, as well as the prospect of sanctions being lifted and new business projects. Under these conditions, anti-war sentiment among Russia’s ruling elite has receded, and they are ready to continue the war.