The information reported by Politico and CNN is disturbing because it shows the U.S. is out of touch with reality and furiously spinning in order to give the politicians what they want to hear. These are classic examples of politics taking precedence over intelligence.

Politico's piece — US declassifies intel as the White House pushes for more Ukraine funding — focuses on the nonsensical meme that Russia is banking on a stalemate and insists that Russia is suffering terrible losses:

The U.S. assesses that Russia believes it is helped by a military stalemate with Ukraine that saps Western support for Kyiv, making its war easier to win. "Russia is determined to press forward with its offensive despite its losses," National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement. "It is more critical now than ever that we maintain our support for Ukraine so they can continue to hold the line and regain their territory."

Further American intelligence indicates the Western-backed Ukrainian campaign is having some success. More than 13,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded and over 220 combat vehicles destroyed along the Avdiivka-Novopavlivka axis in eastern Ukraine since October, Watson said. She added that the Kremlin's forces continue to pound targets in eastern Ukraine including around Avdiivka, Lyman and Kupyansk.

The IC is not presenting an accurate picture of what is unfolding in Ukraine. The assessment pushes the claim that Russia is suffering massive losses because of the "Western-backed campaign." This is intended to convey the message that there is still hope for Ukraine.